Dreams Can Be
by RunSakura
Summary: Rukia is working at a local store when someone discovers her! See where it takes her and see what happens along the way! ByaRuki Fic. "M" for language...
1. The First Dream

**OK….New story… a coworker and I were discussing this the other day and I decided to give it a try…. Hope you like it! **

_! _Rukia's alarm clock went off. She looked up and under her hand to see what time it was.

"6:30" the clock read back to her.

She groaned loudly into the pillow and wrapped the covers over her head. She had to be at work in thirty minutes, and she was no where near ready to get out of bed. There was a loud knock at the door and she could almost make out Ichigo's voice telling her to hurry up or they were going to be late. Rukia swung the blankets of and stared up at the ceiling. The dream she was having felt so real and so vivid she could have sworn she was actually there. Reaching over she grabbed the pull string to her lamp and with a click the room was lit up. Her eyes were not yet focused when her door opened and Ichigo poked in his head.

"Come on, Rukia! We're gonna be late for work!"

"I'm up! I'm up!" she growled at him as she made her way towards the door.

She stared into the mirror and made a face.

"_I look like shit!" _she thought to herself and quickly started washing her face. As her eyes were closed, images of her dream replayed in her mind. In it were her friends from the Soul Society and from Karakura High. Just thinking about it again made her smile. As she began to wash off the soap another familiar face crossed her mind.

"_Byakuya…"_ she thought to herself again.

It had been a while since he admitted to her the truth behind their so called relationship. She was grateful to him for everything he had provided for her, but she needed time to fully comprehend what he said. He allowed her to take as much time as she needed to deal with it and would continue when she returned. However before she was to leave to the real world, he summoned her to his study and she had the strangest farewell speech ever. Before he left her behind, he took her in his arms and hugged her. It was such a shock to her it took her a minute to react. Byakuya embraced her for what seemed like an eternity before he gently pushed her away and left the room…

After she brushed her teeth and hair, she took one last look in the mirror and huffed. She decided that she would follow her dream and see where it takes her. She opened the door and smiled. Ichigo was already dressed and ready to go by the time she was done in the restroom.

"Geeze! What took you so long?" he teased.

Rukia swatted his arm as they walked off down the street towards their summer job.

Ichigo looked back at Rukia as she sang along with the store radio. Stores always have a crappy music selection, but for some reason when Rukia sang it made it a whole lot more tolerable. The store manager smiled as he too looked over his window towards her voice. She surprisingly had the voice of an angel. As rugged and tomboy as she was, Rukia's best secret talent was the gift of song. She could belt out a tune that would make Kenpachi Zarake cry! Ichigo leaned back on the boxes he was stalking and took a quick break. The song continued for the next few minutes and Rukia remained oblivious to the eyes upon her. Her talent was well hidden because she would never be caught singing out loud. Of course she would sing whenever she took a shower or whenever she was 100% certain no one was around to hear her. The only person in the world that new _was_ Renji but now word was getting out like wildfire. The song was nearing its end and Ichigo knew if she caught him looking he would probably never hear it again for a while. He turned back to the boxes he was sitting on and continued to stock. Rukia turned around and looked up at her boss's cubicle.

"Hey Ichigo… he's not watching… come check this out…" she said pulling his arm in her direction.

Ichigo didn't put up a fight… he followed her to a magazine rack near the entrance. She quickly scanned the magazines until she found the Rolling Stones latest edition.

"I want to be on here one day!" she confessed as she handed it over to him.

He smiled because he knew she probably could make it on there if she really wanted to .

"Well hey don't forget us little people when you do!" he sassed.

Rukia blushed, "Do you really think I could one day be on there?"

Ichigo patted her head reassuringly, "Rukia you can be whatever you have faith in yourself to be… I will always be here behind you."

Suddenly, she remembered what Byakuya had told her before she left.

"_No matter how long you are away, I will always keep an eye on you and I will always be ready to welcome you home, Rukia…"_

Ichigo noticed her grin and her head shaking slightly.

"Yo Rukia…What's up with you?" he asked.

Rukia simply shook her head again, "Nothing… Byakuya was just acting weird before I came down here. I was just thinking about it…"

Ichigo frowned… He heard her talk in her sleep a few times before. Something about the way she called out for her adopted brother didn't sit well with him, and at the same time he couldn't help but to feel the need to protect her from anything and everyone. Byakuya said something to her that made her start feeling different towards him and Ichigo wanted to know what.

"So what did he do?" he asked as they slowly started to walk back to their work station.

Rukia shrugged, "I don't know how to explain it. It's like after he confessed he opened up to me more. The night before I came here he hugged me… He's never hugged me before!"

She seemed excited about it.

"Rukia, would you ever consider having a relationship with him?" Ichigo pried.

Her eyes widened as they met his. She was speechless, and couldn't respond quick enough before their manager came walking towards them…

**Alright… I'm going to stop it at that just to test it out. I hope you like it… I'll brainstorm with my co worker some other time and see if other things develop.. night night Darlings!**


	2. At Work

**Okay, so I'm guessing I may have brainstormed a little bit too much because I came up with another idea… I hope you like it!**

"Haven't I told you two not to screw around anymore?" the manager nagged.

Rukia tried to act like she was doing something to avoid the lecture but he was on both of their cases. Turing around to face him, she gave the saddest looking puppy-dog look imaginable.

"Forgive us, Mr. Taji… I just miss my family so very much and I was telling Ichigo about my last conversation with them… I'm sorry" she explained.

Mr. Taji smiled at Ichigo and then looked at Rukia,

"Well then, I have a proposition for you, young lady…" he grinned.

Both Ichigo and Rukia looked at him in suspicion…

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Ichigo said becoming a little defensive.

Waving his hands he further explained, "I've heard you singing, Rukia… and every time you sing you never let anyone enjoy it. We always have to pretend we don't hear you…. I want you to sing for us, Rukia."

Her eyes grew large and she gulped. She could feel her hands shaking, but she controlled them instantly. Stage fright was something she could never seem to get over, but then she started to reason with herself.

"_If you do this in front of your manager and co worker, imagine the possibilities… You could learn to get over it!"_ she coaxed herself.

Sighing heavily she looked up at Ichigo and Mr. Taji, "All right I'll do it!"

Ichigo's grin turned into a huge smile and he rested his hands behind his head.

"You're really gonna do this, Rukia?" he asked.

Rukia nodded, but said not a word. Mr. Taji walked off while giving instructions to her. After their shift and it was close to closing time, he wanted her to stand in front of the check out stands and sing along to one of her favorite songs. She nodded in response feeling her heart pound hard in her chest. Ichigo smiled again and patted her head.

"Hey, it's no big deal… Miss front cover of Rolling Stones magazine!" he egged on.

Rukia smiled, but deep inside she was still trying to convince herself that it was going to be okay. She was worrying so much about it she cut through the package and sliced her leg.

"Shit!" she cried.

Ichigo tossed the box aside and fled to her side.

"What happened, Rukia?"

She moved her hand and revealed the gash on her thigh. Ichigo stood up and hurried to the manager's cubicle and retrieved the First Aid kit. Rukia sat on the stool as he hurried back to her. She stared at the blood and began to have flashbacks.

_As he swiftly scooped her up in his arms, the swords' tip barely nicked the fabric of her white kimono and dove into his side. She could feel the impact through him as his body tensed up and his grip tightened on her. Gin's retracted his sword and Byakuya's blood began to pour through the ripped cloth. Gently setting her on the floor, he then fell to his knees and rested his head on her chest. Rukia could feel him panting and gripping her kimono tightly. At the time she didn't think about it, but she started to remember how soft his hair was and how firm his touch was…_

"What the fuck, Ichigo! That hurt!" she hissed as he tightened the bandage around her leg.

Ichigo smiled, "Well I had to bring you back to reality some how!" he admitted.

Rukia shook her head when she realized she was off in some other dimension… with _him_! She couldn't understand it, why now? Why him of all people? It was as if the truth about her made their lives completely different from that point on. Byakuya started to look at her more and spoke to her in a different tone, and she couldn't put her finger on it!

"Oi Rukia!" a familiar voice shouted from the other isle.

"Hey Renji, we are over here…" Ichigo called.

Renji poked his head from the other side and grinned when he caught sight of them. As he started walking towards them Rukia's smile froze. Following behind him with is head down and both hands in his pocket was Byakuya Kuchki himself. She stood up and pulled her work apron over the bandage so he wouldn't see it. He stood silently behind Renji and she began to wonder how the hell he saw where he went most of the time if his eyes were always closed! Renji took Rukia under his arm and gently messed up her hair.

"How do you like working here?" he chuckled.

Rukia pried herself from his vise and fixed her hair, "I like it very much as a matter of fact. The next time you decide to stay at Urahara's shop maybe you should do the same… You want to stay behind and take notes?" she teased.

Renji grit his teeth and held his composure as Byakuya placed his hand on his shoulder. He took a step from behind him and was now standing in front of her. Ichigo didn't seem to notice the tension that was building between them until Byakuya opened his mouth.

"Renji, Ichigo… I need a moment with Rukia." he ordered.

That seemed to have gotten Ichigo's attention and he hesitated to move.

"What's going on here, Byakuya? Why are you going to scold her?" he continued even as Renji began to drag him away.

"Shut up dumb ass!" Renji growled, "He's not going to get after her. He has wanted to talk to her for a while now and considering that you have her all to yourself I think it's only fair we give them a few minutes."

Ichigo dropped his head in defeat as Renji continued to drag him away.

"Why haven't you checked in with me?" Byakuya asked in a caring tone.

Rukia was now confused. What the hell was going on in this man's head?

"I'm sorry to cause you worry, Brother…" she said in a soft voice while bowing her head.

He opened his eyes and looked at the top of her head, "Please don't call me that…"

Rukia's eyes met his and she sighed heavily. Apparently it had been eating away at both of them for a long time now…

"Byakuya…I don't understand. Why don't you want me to call you brother?" she asked nervously.

In her mind, she was thinking the worst. She was thinking that since the cat was out of the bag that now she would not be a Kuchki anymore and would have to give up her place in her home. As cruel as it sounded, royalty was very strict when it came to rules and regulations so it was a possibility. He placed his hand on her shoulder and looked directly into her soul it seemed.

"There is going to be a few more other changes when you come back, Rukia. Now that my family secret is out, there is going to be a lot of speculation as to why I keep you at our manor…"

Rukia felt her heart skip a beat as she lowered her head and gulped down some tears. She didn't worry about not being a Kuchki and its benefits, she worried about not having a family and Byakuya was all she had. Renji, Ichigo, Orihime, Chad and Uryu were like her extended family, but to actually have a _home _and someone waiting for her was more. She lifted her hand and placed it on top of his not noticing his wide-eyed reaction.

"Whatever is in store I will be ready for…"she said trying not to let her nerves get the better of her.

Her hand was soft and small on top of his. He noticed she was trembling a little and decided to re assure her by taking his free hand and lifting her head up. Once again they were eye to eye. His other hand moved from her shoulder to her back where he pulled her closer to him and held her tightly against him. Rukia was stunned at his gesture she couldn't move. Before she could say a word, he moved his finger that was pressed against her lips and replaced them with his. Her eyes widened for a second before they drooped down and seemed to grow fuzzy. Byakuya wrapped his arms around her and kissed her so deeply. Rukia then felt a sense of security and felt safe in his arms again. However this was a different feeling of safety. This wasn't how he used to make her feel when he would come to her aid. No not at all! This was the kind of feeling she had never felt before and she was beginning to wonder if it was love.

He slowly pulled away from her and rested his forehead against hers.

"Believe me when I say that you don't have anything to worry about… You will be safe with me." he breathed softly as though he was whispering.

"I…I… what was that just now?" Rukia was very confused and needed an answer.

Byakuya took a small step back and placed his hands back in his pockets as Renji and Ichigo showed up again. Rukia's cheeks were flushed and she was still tense. She looked down as the two approached. Ichigo put his arm around her and smiled.

"So are we good?" he asked.

"I will be visiting you soon, Rukia..." Byakuya said as they started to walk away.

Rukia nodded in response and bit her lip. She couldn't understand what that was all about. Why _did_ he kiss her like that and what the hell did he mean by what he said? Ichigo noticed her flustered look and shook her gently with the arm he had around her.

"Hey what's up with you?" he grumbled.

"Nothing…let's finish up here so we can go home…"Rukia hissed.

Ichigo laughed, "Not until you sing remember?"

She cringed. Her short and weird conversation with Byakuya completely scrambled her train of thought.

"Shit… I almost forgot about that…"

Ichigo's smile turned to a small frown. She was thinking about something else and it seemed to be bothering her.

"Hey what did Byakuya want with you?" he questioned.

Rukia simply shook her head. She didn't quite know either, "He's weird like that…"

His lips still lingered on hers and her mind took her back a few moments when they were kissing. His arms held her so gently yet so close to him, she never imagined that she would find herself in that situation… not with him anyway. Then it dawned on her…

"_Oh, my God! Don't tell me…"_

**Well…. I hope you like this chapter. It kind of took me all day to write because I had to go places and I had to stop… Let me know what you think! :D**


	3. What a night!

***** New addition to this story too… hee hee... \^o^/ I guess you can call it a "Two for Sunday" hee hee! (contains a lemon) o.o*****

Rukia felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on her at that moment. She realized now why he was acting funny around her and why he was opening up to her more. Byakuya Kuchki… was in _love_ with her! Ichigo took a long glance at her and propped himself on his elbow against a shelf.

"Yo Rukia… what's eatin' ya?" he asked quizzically.

She tried to shake it off, but for some reason it just got worse.

"I just have a lot of shit on my mind… let's finish this crap up so I can get to it and we can leave…" she growled a little.

He made an uneasy face and tried to hold back an irritated sigh. Ichigo could only imagine what Byakuya had talked to her about, whatever it was it pissed her off.

As they worked silently beside each other, Rukia's mind tried to piece together all the little signs he had dropped before. Byakuya wasn't an easy book. He was one of those hard-to-read men, and to be completely honest, it drove her nuts. She hated how one minute he would be as cold as ice and the next as attentive as could be. Ever since he told her the truth about how she came to be a Kuchki, Byakuya had been acting strange and now that he kissed her she was trying to find out when exactly it started. Rukia wanted to be sure she didn't miss anything that he may have said or did to drop a hint. She came up empty and she became frustrated.

"Son of a Bitch!" she steamed under her breath.

At that point Ichigo had enough of her tantrum. He tossed his box cutter off to the side and pulled her up by her shoulders.

"What is wrong with you, Rukia?" he hissed.

She could clearly see that he was bothered by her behavior and she lowered her head. Ichigo held her and waited for a response, but he noticed her face growing sadder.

"What did he tell you?" he said in a calmer tone.

"He really didn't _say_ much… but I think he is in love with me…" she still had her head down as she confessed.

Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing, "What?"

Rukia looked up at him and seemed to be blushing, "Well think about it, Ichigo. I'm not his sister, and I look just like his late wife… I mean look at all the years we have lived together…"

Ichigo cringed, "But he's your _brother_…"

Rukia looked down again and sighed, "Well… I guess it happens, right?"

He stayed looking at her in disbelief. In his mind he was thinking that this Kuchki thing was really getting to her head. Was she is _that_ devoted to them that she would actually consider having a real relationship with Byakuya? He thought about his own sisters and it made him a little mad. How can you call yourself a brother and come down on your own sister like that? Even after he wouldn't try to save her from her execution? Rukia must really be determined to make everyone proud of her. He just couldn't understand either of their points of views, but for Rukia's sake he would try and just leave it alone.

"Look Rukia, I'm sorry. If that's what you want then you should totally do it. I'll still be by your side. I'm not going anywhere." Ichigo offered.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you for understanding…"

With that she tossed a handful of foam peanuts into his face and giggled. Ichigo was completely caught by surprise and almost tripped over his own foot.

"What the hell?" he barked as he caught himself on a pole.

Rukia started cracking up as his face turned white and his eyes widened to saucers almost.

"Oh you thought that was funny, huh?" he threatened.

Rukia slapped her hands over her mouth and shook her head, but she couldn't contain it very long and burst into full laughter, tears and all.

It was now closing time and they had fished putting away the extra boxes and equipment they used. Ichigo and Mr. Taji waited patiently for Rukia as she slowly walked up to the front of the store. The lights had been shut off except for the front so it was almost as if she _was_ on stage. The two men sat off to the side so that she wouldn't be as nervous as she waited for the song to play. The music began and then she let out a small voice. Ichigo could tell she was nervous and decided to make it a little easier on her by moving his chair off to the side more to where she couldn't see him or Mr. Taji. She smiled and closed her eyes to concentrate on the song as it played. Her notes increased in sound and her voice seemed to travel throughout the entire store. As beautiful as the song was, Rukia made it sound more intense. Her voice over powered the girl on the pa system making it sound like _she_ was the one singing instead. Ichigo smiled proudly at her and Mr. Taji smiled as well.

"She sings very well, Ichigo." he complimented.

Ichigo nodded in reply and closed his eyes, "She has a beautiful voice…"

As she continued to sing, Rukia could feel their eyes on her. In her mind however, she was thinking about the song and only the song. Nothing in the world seemed to bother her, not even the extra pair of eyes that watched from the outside of the store.

Byakuya smiled as he heard her voice. He was stopping by to walk with her home, and just so happened to hear her singing. He had only heard it once before and it was so distant he wasn't even sure if it _was_ Rukia. All he knew at that point was that her voice could melt the ice off Hitsuguya's Hyōrinmaru! Byakuya stood in the shadows and listened a bit longer before she finished. Then he began to walk up to the doorway. Ichigo caught sight of him just as Rukia finished singing and Mr. Taji clapped.

"That was wonderful, Rukia!" he cheered.

"Thank you…"she blushed.

"Why is Byakuya here?" Ichigo muttered.

Rukia turned around and almost bumped into him. She looked up and saw the expression on his face. He was smiling!

"Umm, what are you doing here?" she asked, "and why are you smiling?"

Byakuya closed his eyes and held out his hand, "I was wondering if I could walk you to where you are staying. I'd like to talk to you a little bit more…"

Ichigo held his breath hoping she would say no, but to his dismay…

"Ichigo you can go ahead without me… I'm going to go with Byakuya…"Rukia called to him.

Ichigo forced a smile and waved, "Okay just don't be out too late…"

Mr. Taji was confused and gave Ichigo a strange look, "Who was…"

"Don't ask…"Ichigo interrupted, "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Taji!"

"Why did you come back?" Rukia asked.

Byakuya grasped her hand into his and they stopped walking. She was a little nervous as to what might happen next.

"Rukia, I needed to see you again. I feel like now that you know, I can tell you everything I had been wanting to for so long." Byakuya said in his monotone voice.

Rukia sighed in relief, "Oh… okay. I thought I was going to get in trouble for something I did or said!"

He turned his head off away from her, "Do you always think that when you see me?"

Rukia felt bad, "Oh no! That's not what I meant! I meant that I'm always such a klutz and I'm always getting into trouble…"

He pressed his finger over her lips to silence her. She gulped down her shaking nerves and looked up at him. He slid his hand from her lips to cup her face in it and brought up his other hand to rest behind her neck. Their lips gently touched before he whispered…

"Rukia, I have loved you from the first day I met you. I've wanted this since the first time I held you in my arms… You are everything to me…"

Before she had a chance to reply, their lips were locked in a deep kiss that progressed into a heated one. He dropped his hand from her cheek to her side and pulled her closer to him as her hands lifted to rest around his neck. Byakuya scooped her up into his arms and (since he's Byakuya Flippin' Kuchki aka: The Boss) flash stepped to a clearing in the field behind the store. He laid Rukia on the ground never leaving her lips and steadied himself on her side. She looked up at him and swallowed hard…

"I'm nervous…"she breathed.

Byakuya brushed his hand over her forehead taking that pesky strand out of the way as well, and kissed it. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. He smelled of Sakura and fresh water. His hair rested over her chest and she could feel his body so close to her side.

"Don't be nervous with me, Rukia. I would never hurt you in any way…"he said huskily.

He kissed her again and ran his hand down her side and under her knee where it stayed for a few minutes. Her hands found their way into his hair and mingled with locks of it. His lips traveled from her lips to her neck and down to her chest. She looked down and gave a soft moan as his kisses drover her over her composure. Byakuya unbuttoned her blouse and made his way to her breast. He licked her nipple and waited a second to test her reaction. Rukia gently pulled his hair at that same second and he took it as a sign to continue. His tongue danced over the nipple and his teeth gently grazed it as she wiggled and moaned underneath him. Making sure he didn't move too fast, he slowly and carefully unzipped her pants. Rukia was so far gone into the moment she did not realize that he had gotten her pants off until she felt his hand in between her legs.

"Is this going to hurt?" she managed to breathe.

Byakuya looked into her eyes, "Only for a second, but I promise it will stop soon."

He crashed his lips onto hers and kissed her again. Rukia was trembling but not enough to where Byakuya would notice. She was overcome by the heat of the moment; she almost jumped when she felt his fingers run along the outside of her panties. He rubbed a little harder causing Rukia to moan a little louder. She had never felt anything like this before and for him to use his fingers so well and gently on her seemed to coax her into a more calm and inviting state. He looked up at her to see that she was biting her lip and she had her eyes closed. So he gently slipped a finger into her making her body tense up. His thumb ran over her clit so gently but yet effective enough to make her squirm. Once her womanhood took to his finger, he began to move it around. Rukia bit her lip again only a little harder this time and she let out a gasp. He smiled at her seeing that her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were glassy.

She pulled him over her and kissed him. Some how, she mustered the courage to follow her instincts and was ready to let him in. Byakuya unzipped his pants and slid them down half way, giving him enough room for better access.

"Are you ready?" he breathed on her lips.

Rukia kissed him and felt him enter her for the first time. The pain was excruciating for her, and he waited a few seconds, so that she could adjust to him. Rukia took a deep breath and then looked into his eyes…

"I'm ready…"she moaned softly.

He slowly moved in and out of her keeping an eye on her facial expressions. She felt his body over hers pinning her to the damp grass. All she could think about at that moment was the fact that they were making love, and she wanted it just as much as he did. His pace began to pick up a little and her moans and whimpers could not be controlled. He held her hip to better steady himself as he started to pound into her. Rukia grabbed onto his unbuttoned shirt and arched her body up to him. Byakuya lifted her leg and placed it over his shoulder and ground himself into her. Rukia felt her body heating up like a cauldron that was ready to boil over. The moment was coming for the both and that was when he decided to flip over and pull her hard on him. Rukia's knees dug into him as a whole new sensation took over her body. He knew she wasn't sure what to do so with his hands on her hips he guided her until she could ride him with no help. Her body began to tremble as her orgasm threatened to burst out of her. He smiled knowing this wasn't too far off, and took her by the waist and quickened her bounce. She bit her finger and gently tugged at her hair as her body felt like it was falling to pieces on top of him. Then he began to grunt a little louder than before and she could feel him release into her.

They lay on the ground catching their breath. Rukia propped herself on her elbow and looked at Byakuya. He was sweating and his damp hair covered parts of his face. She brushed them off and held her hand on his cheek. Byakuya looked over to her and smiled.

"How do you feel now?" he mumbled with a smile.

Rukia blushed, "That was a bit interesting…. But I have to get going or I'm going to be looked for…"

She sat up and began to straighten out her clothes. Byakuya pulled up his pants and then sat up beside her.

"Are you going to tell him or should I?" he asked.

Rukia knew exactly who he was talking about and looked down,

"I already told him… he is well aware…"

Byakuya sensed something was wrong and took her hand….

"Rukia I love you… I do want to be with you, but you can't continue to keep things from me. Now obviously you never slept with him, but why do you seem off when I ask you about him?"

***** and there you have it. Sorry I wasn't really in a lemony mood, but I tried. (It fit in my rough draft) So there is that update as well. My hubby is waiting for me to go watch a movie with him so I must be off now… that's all for now folks! :D R&R**


	4. What's next

*****OMG! I totally took a day off to write! Lol! I hope you enjoy this new chapter. I'm trying to pick days when I can update both of them at the same time, but until then it's just going to be one after the other.. *********

She never answered him. He walked silently beside her on her way home. The events that had just taken place were playing in her mind as though stuck on replay. Rukia looked over at Byakuya in her peripheral vision and saw that she pained him. His hair hid most of his facial features but the fact that he had his head down was enough. Her eyes closed and she gulped down her fear.

"Byakuya?" she said as her walking ceased.

He stopped a few steps ahead, but didn't turn around. He was a little hurt by her and for him, it was worse than any battle wound he'd endured. Rukia knew he wasn't about to turn around for a speech so gathering all her courage, she pulled his arm and him into her arms. Byakuya was completely caught off guard by that and put his arms out to brace himself, but it worked out so perfectly for her. His arms went around her, making it easier for her to embrace him.

"I love you…" she replied with her eyes closed.

Byakuya felt his heart pound against his chest and wrapped his arms around her, resting his lips on the top of her head. Rukia rested her head on his chest and breathed him in. He smelled of sakura and crisp linen. She thought about the way his skin felt on hers a few minutes ago and gripped his shirt a little tighter. He thought something was wrong and lifted her head to look into her eyes, but noticed she didn't appear scared or worried. Her cheeks were blushed and her eyes seemed a little glossy.

"Rukia, what's the matter?" he asked.

"I was just thinking," she looked away, "About the park…"

He smirked a little out of his own satisfaction.

"What of it?" he was trying to pretend that it wasn't at the fore front of his mind either.

Rukia looked back into his eyes and seemed to have forgotten all about her fear…

"Can we do it again sometime?" she whispered.

He was impressed by her sudden change and replied with a passionate kiss under the street light.

She looked up at him after their kiss and smiled,

"I really should get back home now…"

Byakuya scooped her up in his arms and carried her off to Ichigo's house a few blocks away. He was now confident enough to let her stay there and trust that she would only be his. Ichigo was just going to have to deal with it on his own time. Rukia now belonged to Byakuya and there was no way anyone was going to break that apart.

Ichigo heard Rukia make her way up the stairs and was waiting for her to walk in the room, but she never did. After a few moments of silence, he decided to see what was going on. Opening the door to his room, Ichigo cautiously peeked around incase she was standing right there… nothing. He swung open the door and started to get a little nervous.

"Where the fu…" he stopped mumbling once he heard her voice.

Rukia walked straight into the bathroom and was taking a shower. She was on cloud nine and all she could think about was his kiss…and his voice…and especially his body. Her voice sang in a tune that seemed to give away her status. Ichigo sat in his room now, with the door wide open. Hearing Rukia sing was a secret pastime of his. She didn't know that he would tune in on her, but he did. Then a thought crossed his mind and began to do some research on his computer.

Rukia walked in the room wearing her yellow Chappy pajamas.

"Yo Ichigo…" she called coolly as she continued to dry her hair with the towel.

"Oh hey Rukia…" he smiled, "Heard you come in a few moments ago… how was your, um… visit?"

She blushed and cleared her throat, "It went well… what're _you_ doing?"

Ichigo smiled and pulled a paper off the printer dock.

"Nothin…why is your face red?" he teased.

Rukia turned her head away and acted as if she was looking for something else. It wasn't until she dropped the towel that things became interesting.

"Wow! Nice hickey…" he bullied.

Rukia's eyes widened like a deer caught in the head lights.

"What? You're lying!" she said looking into the mirror.

She examined on side of her neck, but as she turned to check the other, her face turned beet red. She did in fact have a hickey, and a rather large one at that. Rubbing the towel against it she prayed it was a prank and that it would come off… nope. It just made her skin redder than what it already was.

"_I'm going to get you back, Byakuya_!" she mumbled to herself.

Ichigo was rolling around on his bed laughing as hard as he could. He knew exactly how gave her that love mark. He was laughing to hide his hurt and jealousy. Rukia stood at the end of his bed with her arms crossed.

"So you think it's funny?" she growled.

Ichigo could see that it was pissing her off so he composed himself and sat up.

"I'm sorry, Rukia. I really do think it's funny that he would even consider hickeys as a marker…" he said catching the remainder of his breath.

Rukia sat down beside him and rested her hand on his shoulder, "And you're okay with that?"

Ichigo knew that she was on a serious note now, "I know you two aren't related by blood, Rukia. To be perfectly honest, you two are so much alike. It's a wonder you didn't hook up sooner. I knew he was a chicken shit in some department."

Rukia placed her hand back on her lap, "I'm going back to the Soul Society… We have a lot to do to make preparations…"

"Preparations? For what?" Ichigo was now lost.

"We have to make preparations so that we can be together. He has to release me from his guardianship and then Captains Ukitake and Unohana are going to adopt me as their daughter. Byakuya and I want to gat married…."she explained.

Ichigo gripped the paper in his hand tighter causing a crinkle. Rukia heard the paper and looked over to his other side.

"By the way, what is that?" she asked, hoping to change the subject quickly.

Ichigo just handed her the paper and got up. She read the paper as he started to walk out of the room.

"Ichigo…"

"I was just hoping you would give it a try before you become a tied down adult…"he replied as he walked off.

Rukia looked down at the paper and felt tears form in her eyes.

The next day, Rukia walked to the park alone. She had the day off and decided to take some time alone to think about things. The paper was still in her possession and it seemed to pull at her. She sat on the bench and closed her eyes.

"_Ughhhh! What am I going to do!"_ she thought to herself.

The sunshine was hitting her face so gently, and the crisp autumn breeze felt like a cool blanket of comfort. Her eyes opened and she stared up into the sky as though she was looking for a sign. Suddenly, she felt arms scoop her up and lift her up form the bench.

"What the…" her sentence was cut off by a pair of grey eyes and a warm smile.

"What's wrong, Rukia?" Byakuya calmly asked.

She smiled and wrapped an arm around him. He was carrying her off some where, but she didn't care. He was there and nothing else mattered. Byakuya smiled to himself as she pulled herself up into his neck, but was still concerned by her despair. Walking faster now, he held her tighter and closer. He had a plan for them today and he was hoping it would cheer her up now.

"We are here, Rukia…" he whispered.

Rukia turned and saw a breath taking view. There was a picnic set up by the river bank and a Chappy plushy by the basket. She hopped off from his arms and hurried over to the bunny doll. The paper fell out of her pocket without her realizing in, and he picked it up. She was so taken by the whole set up; it didn't occur to her that he was reading it.

"Rukia? Do you like it?" he asked as he tucked the paper safely in his pocket. She smiled big and snuggled the bunny.

"How did you know I like Chappy?" she beamed.

Byakuya chuckled, "I've seen your reports, Rukia. Chappy seems to be everywhere. Ukitake seems to have a fondness for the rabbit now as well…"

Rukia curled up next to him now that he was sitting beside her.

"I love it! Thank you!" she smiled.

Byakuya looked down at her cuddling the doll.

"Rukia… do you _want_ to marry me?" he asked suddenly.

Rukia was not expecting that and sat up stiffly.

"Why do you ask that?" she questioned.

He pulled her hands into his, "If you still have unfinished business here, I understand. I don't want to force you to do something you are not ready for…"

"No… I want to marry you and start a new life with you…" she said pulling his hand to her lips.

Byakuya closed his eyes and smiled, "Rukia… I can always come down here for a while until you are done…"

She tilted her head a little unsure of what he was talking about. He took the plushy bunny and set it aside to lay her down. He bent her knees outward and laid her on her back. His arm cradled her head and he hovered over her. Lying on his side, he brought his free arm over her and took her in an innocent, loving embrace.

"Rukia, I don't want you to stop what ever it is you have going for you here. No matter what it is, I just want to be with you. I'll renounce my seat and come live here with you if that's what you desire. I would much rather us live in my manor carefree and happy, but it's not what I want…as long as I am with you, Rukia." He ran his fingers through her hair as he spoke. The tenderness in his voice was so soothing and relaxing, Rukia felt herself drift off somewhere else. She heard everything he said, but she was in a trance. He gently kissed her forehead bringing her back.

"So what do you want to do?" he asked finally.

Rukia smiled, "I want to be with you as well… You worked hard and long to become head of your clan, I couldn't ask you to give it up for me. There is one thing though…"

She fished around in her pockets for her paper, and became alarmed when she couldn't find it.

"Oh no!" she said, sounding disappointed.

"What's wrong?" Byakuya hummed.

"I lost something…" Rukia was a bit irritated with herself now.

"Oh? A paper perhaps?" he teased.

Rukia shot him a look as he hovered over her still. He smiled big and she felt her heart melt. Even his smile was enticing. She had never seen him smile like that before… Not in 70 years! She almost forgot what she was upset about as she ran her hand along side his jaw and a finger over his bottom lip. His face was smooth and without any blemishes; he was like a perfect painting. Byakuya lowered his head into hers and pressed his lips on her all too eager lips. She found herself running her fingers through his lose black hair. It was soft, very manageable and very long without the kenseikan keeping it back. She gently pulled him away with a soft tug.

"Where is my paper?" she quizzed.

Byakuya smiled, "First you have to explain to me what it is…"

Rukia sighed and looked away to hide her embarrassment.

He took her cheek in his hand and turned her to face him…

"You know you have nothing to be shy about, Rukia. I already know everything about you, and nothing can surprise me."

Rukia looked into his eyes and smiled, "I don't know it I want to do it though…"

"Why is that?" he started placing kisses on her neck.

"What if I fail?" she breathed, falling into his spell.

"You could never… you're a Kuchki. We always surpass with ease." his kisses trailed lower.

Rukia's eyes rolled back as she felt his breath on her chest, but suddenly remembered her hickey ordeal. She gently pulled him up to meet her lips and devoured his. He was taken in by her boldness and responded by pulling her on top of him, which was exactly what she had planned. Rukia lay on his body and continued to kiss him. Her hands ran over his chest and arms, pulling away at any clothing that would get in the way of her plan. Byakuya felt her hands touching his skin and closed his eyes giving her the opportunity to pounce. She trailed her kisses to his jaw, then his chin… making her way to his chest. There she nibbled at his skin and kissed her way back up to his neck. His hands slid up into her shirt and started feeling her soft skin. Rukia was falling off track a little, but managed to find her way back. His neck was under her lips, venerable and opens for the strike. She found the perfect spot on his neck, the spot where the collar bone meets the neck. Giving a nibble and a suck, she worked on his payback. Byakuya quickly caught on to what she was doing but at that point it was too late, and he could have cared less. His hands pulled at her gently implying he wanted her. Rukia sat up and rested her hands on his chest. He looked up at her and smiled, bringing his hands from inside her shirt and placing them on hers.

"What's wrong now?" he asked in a sweet tone.

"What do you think I should do?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper. Rukia took it from him and opened it…

***** I'm all about lil' cliffhangers… hee hee! I plan on updating soon so keep an eye out, mmkay? I hope you liked this one… R&R peeeease. :D*****


	5. The hotel

**I should be sleeping, but I couldn't help myself…. Enjoy, Darlings! **

"_Show us your talent tonight!_

_Open mic nights on Wednesdays!_

_Bring your own instruments!"_

Rukia looked at him with endearing eyes.

"I don't know if I want to do this, Byakuya…" she mumbled.

He lifted her head with his fingers gently, and looked into her eyes.

"You can do anything you set your heart to. I have faith in you, Rukia and I know you will do excellent. On top of that, I have heard you sing for the past fifty some odd years now, and I can be the first to say you are a great singer."

Rukia blushed and looked away. He admired her profile for the brief moment and took notice of certain features. For one, her eyelashes were long and full. They shaded her violet orbs as well as defined them. The sun light shone perfectly on her face, giving him a more opportune minute to take in her beauty. Rukia's pale skin was smooth looking and had the perfect hint of shine. Her cheeks hid beautifully behind her midnight hair, teasing him willfully. Byakuya noticed, as the light breeze took a few stands up, how full and bouncy it was. The next move was completely unmediated, as his hands found themselves running through her hair. Rukia closed her eyes and felt his fingers tugging gently behind her head.

"This is not helping me…" she uttered softly.

He gave a low growl and reluctantly withdrew.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself…"he said now moving himself a few centimeters from her.

Rukia smiled, and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Do I stay and to this talent show? Or do I go back to the Soul Society with you?"

Byakuya looked up at her and could see that she was having a hard time with it. He closed his eyes for a second and smiled to himself.

"I will stay here with you…"he stated.

Rukia's face seemed to light up, "You what?"

He automatically knew by that little expression her mind had been made up; she was doing the show.

Later that night, Rukia sat down with Ichigo and explained to him what was going to happen. She could tell by the look on his face though, that he was not too happy about it at all.

"I'm sorry Ichigo, but he wouldn't allow me to stay with you." She admitted.

"I don't understand why you have to stay at a hotel with him…"he growled.

Rukia shook her head. She knew very well Ichigo was only tolerating it for her sake, and leaving for a few nights to stay with _him_, was the icing on the cake. She grabbed her bag and stood up.

"I hope to see you at the club Wednesday night…"she said softly as she walked away.

Ichigo couldn't stay mad at her no matter what it was she did or said. He smirked slyly…

"Oh I'll be there all right. You can expect to see me in the front row!"

Rukia was now at the door and turned around to smile at him.

"Thank you, Ichigo. For understanding…" Rukia stated as she closed the door. He looked at the back of the door for a second and took a deep breath. He didn't sit well with their new found relationship, but he knew Rukia and this was what she wanted. He lay back on his bed and looked back to the window just in time to catch her walking off. She had a huge grin on her face, and in that instant he knew she was happy. Ichigo closed his eyes and let the sun hit his face. It felt warm and inviting, just like she did. His smiled turned to a frown when he then realized that she wouldn't be around much more after this. Opening his eyes, he looked up into the sky and watched the clouds float by. A tug in his heart made him sit up and take another deep breath.

"Rukia… if you only knew…"

Rukia sat nervously in the lobby with a back pack on her lap. They were going to stay at the hotel closer to town for a while, or at least until they knew if she was actually going to get into a contract deal. She looked down at the zipper ornament dangling off her satchel and smiled. Byakuya had given it to her on her birthday, and it was the funniest thing. She smiled as her mind took her back:

_**A few years back: **__Rukia could have sworn she was in trouble for showing up late. Byakuya hated that. She paced back and fourth in his study until she heard light foot steps approaching. He slid the door open to find her looking like a nervous wreck until she noticed he was just as nervous. _

"_You're here..." he sounded very confused._

"_Well… yeah I am?" she replied just as confused._

_His hand was trembling as he dug into his haori sleeve and pulled out a small white box. Rukia was more at ease because she was trying not to laugh at him. He had actually taken off his kenseikan and tied his hair back in a rather untidy manner. He held the box out to her, but as he took a step closer, he tripped on his own scarf! The box flew into her hands as he fell into her…period! The box ended up on the floor and the two ended up in an awkward position against the wall._

She ran her finger over the little plastic bunny and smiled. That was one of the first times she had ever seen him blush of any sort. As she smiled, a pair of hands wrapped around her snatching her up and pulling her into a pair of soft lips. Byakuya laughed at her reaction, but managed to steal a quick kiss anyway.

"What were you day dreaming about?" he asked, gently putting her on the ground.

Rukia shrugged and tucked the Chappy figurine into her backpack pocket, "Nothing…"

He wasn't about to give up on that anytime soon, so decided to catch her off guard. They walked into the elevator and managed to be the only ones in there. In her head she was thinking that he had planned it out this way on purpose, however he was thinking something different. There had to be a reason why no one was in there, and then all of a sudden…

"Oh my God!" Rukia screamed as the elevator came to a dead halt.

Byakuya chuckled a little, as the expression on her face read was straight fear. He picked up the receiver and waited to hear an answer from the other side. Rukia watched as he remained calm through the whole conversation and even managed a laugh. He hung up the phone,

"They'll get to us in about an hour… this one was broken, but no one thought to tell us…"

Rukia smiled, "So we won't be stuck in here for ever?"

He grinned in response, "I can always call her back and tell her never mind if that's what you'd like…"

Rukia grabbed the phone in his hand and gasped. Without saying another word he pushed her up against the wall and rested the phone on its' receiver. Her hands were pinned against his chest and her legs rested on either side of him.

"I think we have enough time…" he said huskily in her ear.

She smiled at him and pulled his face to hers and began to kiss him. Their lips crashed on to each other like angry waves; one right after the other. He opened his eyes and took in the sight before him. Rukia's eyes were drooped and hazy with her mouth half open as she lightly gasped. It seemed like no matter what she did, Rukia was so beautiful. He ran his finger over her temple and pulled her face back into his.

As they stood there entangled in each other's arms, the power shut off. Byakuya smiled and adjusted her to straddle his hips better making her cock an eyebrow.

"Really?" she breathed.

Byakuya smiled and undid his pants, answering her question. She felt him gently pull her panties off to the side and slide himself inside. Being the second time, she wasn't quite ready for that and clutched his shoulders tight. He paused and watched her face until he knew she was ready. Rukia smiled at him, knowing that he waited, and nodded for him to continue. Byakuya held on to her thigh with one hand and steadied them with the other. Her head slightly trashed from side to side as she tried to control her moans. She ran her hands through his hair, giving it a nice tug when he did something that felt good. Rukia had just enough energy to hold her head up and kiss him once more before resting her head on his forehead. As he continued to pump faster the elevator started to become pretty hot. Condensation began to form on the wall where they were and holding them up was getting a little hard for him. He took both of her thighs and held on to her and began to bounce her up and down on himself. Rukia was trying to notice that she was in mid air, but at the same time, she was already at the point to where she was seeing white lights. She heard him grunt suddenly, and the two slowly went down. He pulled her down in one final thrust and they both climaxed together. Rukia's hands grabbed on to his shirt very tightly, she managed to pop a few buttons. Byakuya grabbed on to her hips and pulled down as hard as he could…

The firefighters managed to get the power on and the elevator to the next floor. As the doors opened though, it was as if someone had a heater on in there. The pair stood side by side like if nothing had happened. Aside from a disheveled dress and a few missing buttons, they appeared like they were perfectly fine. A fireman held out his hand to Rukia to help her out, when he noticed he hands were sweaty; he put two and two together and tried to hide a snicker. Rukia looked over at Byakuya and smiled knowingly. He walked out calmly to her side and looked over at the Fire Marshall.

"So does this mean that the problem will be fixed?" he queried.

The Fire Marshall had figured them out and was trying to take them seriously…

"Yes Sir. We plan to have this fixed as soon as possible…" he cleared his throat and nodded his head, "…but can I be honest?"

Byakuya gave the fat man a funny look, "You may…"

He leaned in closer to his ear, "If you and the Misses would have waited a few more minutes…" he kicked over a few buttons and a piece of cloth, "… this would not have happened."

Byakuya looked down and turned beet red as he was met with Rukia's panties and his missing buttons. To avoid having her endure the same embarrassment, he quickly gathered them up and shoved them into his pocket. He bid the Fire Marshall good bye and quickly hurried Rukia off to their room.

"Whoa, what's the hurry?" she asked as they flew down the hall.

Byakuya was not mad at her, but his face was red and he was fighting off a laugh. Rukia furrowed her eye brows and bit her lip…

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked quietly.

At that point, they had made it into their room; he shut the door behind him and started laughing. Rukia was stunned. She had never seen him laugh like that in all the decades she lived with him. He had tears in his eyes!

"Okay, can you tell me what is so funny now?" she quizzed.

He still said nothing and simply pulled out her under garments and his buttons. Rukia then too started laughing as she turned bright red.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed. "I didn't even know you took them _off_!"

Byakuya was now able to breathe a little better and started wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I have not laughed like that since I was a little Shinigami, Rukia…" he took her hands into his, "Thank you for that."

Rukia raised an eye brow, "So you were laughing at _me_?"

He kissed her hands, "I would never… I was laughing at the situation we were in… they all knew, you know."

Rukia turned away and blushed even more. He placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Rukia closed her eyes and smiled.

"Well, I think I need a bath after that anyway…"she blurted after unpacking.

"Do you need any assistance?" Byakuya asked poking his head into the room.

Rukia smiled sharply, "No thank you…" she stood before him, "I would like for you to order dinner for us though."

He nodded and leaned in for a kiss. Rukia turned her head slightly, making him miss her lips and kiss her cheek.

"I think that has gotten us into enough trouble, Mister Kuchki. Don't you think?" she toyed.

He playfully glared at her as she danced into the bathroom and closed the door. Rukia leaned up against the door and sighed. She had been around him all day and hadn't had anytime to grasp what was happening in her world. She was now having a relationship with the man she platonically lived with for over fifty years, and they were staying in a hotel nonetheless! Rukia turned on the hot water and waited for the steam to build. Standing in front of the mirror, she looked into herself. She was happy…

Byakuya looked through the menu and sighed. He couldn't think straight and it was breaking his concentration. Rukia had really gotten under his skin, and was turning him into a new man. He looked over at the window getting a full glimpse of the town. He stood up and made his way over, pulling the curtain aside. The final battle against Aizen was a few months ago and he was impressed to see that nothing was phased by it. The cars driving by, people walking back and fourth… he smiled. He was taken by a feeling of happiness that he rarely experienced; most of the time nothing mattered to him unless it was a part of _his_ world, like Rukia. Lately, he had been catching himself admiring even the smallest of unimportant things. He heard the shower running and remembered the task at hand suddenly. Flipping through the menu again, he decided to order a bit of everything. Byakuya was not quite sure what _she_ would like, but he figured that if he ordered like that she would be happy. With that done, he then decided to set up a table with candles and a few wine glasses. He thought it would serve as a nice touch to their first night together as a couple. Standing back, he smiled. He was in love…

**Okay… I hope you liked this one. It actually took me a day because I almost forgot about it. **** I'm sorry, but here you go… I plan to update again in the following week, but bear with me because I have two first exams in the same week! Wish me luck!**


	6. Going back

**Ok and I'm back. I don't know how I did on my exams yet, but here's hoping! Anyway… Here is the next chapter…. :D**

Rukia stepped out of the bath and smelled the mixture of jasmine and sweet pea. As she dried her hair, she closed her eyes to concentrate more on the wonder scent coming from the other side of the door. She wondered what that Kuchki man was up to…

Byakuya heard the shower turn off and started to rush the finishing touches. The table was made out for a feast; it included candles, roses and sweets of all kinds! He had lit scented candles in the bedroom because he knew the first thing she would smell would be that. The bed too was dressed up; sprinkled with red and pink rose petals. He finished the final detail as he turned off the lights leaving the candle lit setting for Rukia's appearance. The door opened as if on cue and she walked out with the steam ahead of her. He sighed as she slowly walked through, reminding him of an angel. Rukia had to adjust her eyes as the room was dim, but she quickly caught sight of the bed.

"Oh, I see someone is planning something tonight…" she trailed off as she walked into the television room of the hotel room.

"I hope you approve…" he announced softly from the table side.

Rukia covered her mouth before she stood there with it gaping. He pulled a chair out and offered his hand to her.

"Please sit…" he said.

Rukia was still speechless as she took his hand and sat as if she was in a trance. He walked over to the opposite side and sat in front of her. He gave it a few moments and watched her eyes explore the table contents.

"Do you like?" Byakuya said announcing his presence.

"Y…yes I do!" Rukia finally responded.

"I was not quite sure as to what you would desire so I had them bring a little bit of everything for you…"he explained.

Rukia nodded and gave him a strange look. Before he could ask her what was wrong, he heard her stomach growl. He giggled as her face turned as red as the apple on the table.

"Rukia, if you are hungry eat…" he cleared his throat after wards.

Rukia nodded and reached out her hand, but stopped. Again he stopped and took another look at her.

"I don't know where to start…" she whispered.

Byakuya stood up and pulled her plate from underneath her arm. He then began to place a little bit of each entrée on it and then handed it back to her.

"Okay now you can start eating…" he smiled.

Rukia blushed profusely and stuck a piece of salmon in her mouth.

The next day was Tuesday and Rukia was sleeping soundly by his side. He propped himself up on his elbow and watched her sleep. The sun began to peer through the curtains and he knew he would have to wake her up soon. He gently slipped out of the bed, crept over to his bag and pulled out a small square shaped object. He stood there for a few seconds as he figured out how to work it and stealthily got back to where he was. He looked through the window of the camera and snapped the picture he wanted. He was grateful for his visits to the Shinigami Women's Association for explaining to him how to use a digital camera, and now he was able to capture Rukia at her finer moments… like this.

She heard a faint click sound and stirred. In her dream, she was dancing with her Zanpakuto and about to learn a new move when she heard it. It just didn't belong there, that sound. She then realized she was sleeping in a hotel room with Byakuya! Her eye carefully cracked open and saw him positioning the camera in an angle before he took another picture.

"Have you been snapping pictures of me as I sleep?" she mumbled.

Caught a little off guard, he fumbled the camera and smiled, "I couldn't resist."

Rukia fluffed her hair and sat up to stretch, letting a loud yawn go.

Byakuya's eyes widened as he smiled, "Do you always wake up this gracefully?"

Rukia took the camera from his hands to review the pictures, "Of course I do… I'm a Kuchki aren't I?"

He snickered lightly as her face looked so focused on the screen.

"It's Tuesday, Rukia…" he mentioned.

Rukia gripped the camera a little harder, "I know…"

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "I'll arrange for breakfast…"

As he left the room, Rukia looked up and flopped back into the fluffy bed. She grabbed his pillow and smothered it over her face to scream, but was taken in by his scent: A sweet smell of cherry blossoms and candy. She began to wonder if it was on purpose, but all she could do was inhale. She lay under the pillow for a brief moment before she heard him call out to her.

"Coming…" she politely called back.

She pulled the pillow off and stared at the ceiling for another second before jumping out of the bed and into the restroom.

"Just let me brush my teeth first…" she announced.

Byakuya walked back into the room and snatched the camera up from the bed. He flipped through the pictures to make sure she didn't erase any and he came across one that made his heart skip a beat. As she was lying in the bed, she held the camera just above her face and made a soft, gentle pout face with her hand in her hair. She looked as beautiful as the first plum blossom in the spring, he thought in his mind. He stuffed the camera in his pocket as she waltzed out of the restroom.

"Oh… what are you doing in here?" she asked.

"I was just waiting to see when you were going to join me this morning…" he replied.

Rukia smiled and tossed the towel on the counter top, "Now…" she replied.

They went out that evening and had a nice time at the little shopping center. Rukia bought all kinds of new things including a new dress. They were leaving a boutique when she bumped into Orihime.

"Rukia!" she shouted and buried her into her bosom.

"Hi Orihime…" Rukia managed to breathe from within.

Orihime looked at Byakuya for a second, "Oh hello Mr. Kuchki…"

He simply bowed his head politely and looked off to another direction.

"Rukia! What a nice dress! Are you going to the Talent Search tomorrow?" she asked.

Rukia nodded but didn't reply.

"Is something wrong?" Orihime asked quizzically.

Rukia knew she had a knack for figuring things out fast so she decided to fill her in.

"Yes, I have decided to give it a try before going back to the Soul Society…"

"Go back? What do you mean go back? Once you go to the big top you're not going to have time for the Soul Society!" Orihime interrupted.

Rukia blushed at her friend's confidence in her, "Thank you, but we are going…"

Byakuya stood by her side suddenly and nudged her, "We have to go…"

Rukia didn't understand why but she knew not to ask, "I'll tell you later… bye Orihime!" she called as he gently dragged her along.

Orihime waved, but had a confused look on her face, _"Those two have issues…"_ she thought.

They stood at the door in the hotel room.

"Now will you tell me what this is all about?" Rukia questioned.

He closed his eyes, "We need to go to the Soul Society as soon as possible…"

Rukia withdrew her hand from his slowly, "But I have to go to the Open Mic night tomorrow…"

"I'm sorry, Rukia… this is very important too…" he said in an apologetic tone.

Rukia walked passed him and straight to the room. Byakuya sighed and shut the door behind him. He knew it wasn't going to be good news for her, but he needed to go back as soon as possible. He gave a sigh and slowly walked toward the now closed doors.

"Rukia…" he asked giving a soft knock at the door.

He heard nothing and slowly walked in. Rukia lay on the bed with her head in the pillow as if she was crying but when he approached her, he found that she was sleeping. Byakuya smiled to himself and covered her with the blanket. He stood up and started to pack their things to leave later tonight. Rukia wasn't sad or upset about the ordeal, she was a bit relieved. All day she was putting the idea in the back of her mind and decided to just have fun. She was very nervous to sing in front of people she didn't know and on top of that Byakuya and her friends were bound to be there as well. As soon as he told her they had to go back, Rukia felt a wave of relief. She went to the room to act as though she _was_ upset, in all reality she wasn't.

It was midnight when he woke her from a deep sleep.

"Rukia, come on, we have to go now."

Rukia waved her arm in the air and felt a warm body beside her. Picking her head up from the pillow, she noticed Byakuya sitting there all dressed and ready to go. She glanced over at the clock and groaned.

"Okay…" she grumbled as she started to peel herself from the cozy bed.

Byakuya smiled as she grumpily threw clothes on with her eyes half open. He knew she was still sleepy and wasn't in the mood to screw around. After she threw on her jacket, she was caught by surprise when he scooped her up in his arm and began to carry her.

"I can walk you know…" she politely growled.

"I know, but I am taller and therefore I walk faster…" he replied.

Rukia was shocked to hear such a reply from him and crossed her arms.

"And just why are you being so brave Mr. Kuchki?" she threatened.

Byakuya's arm was right underneath her with his hand resting at her thigh. In saying what she did, all his reply was a swift pinch to her butt.

"OW!" she hissed.

"Not when I have the upper hand, my love…"he teased.

She narrowed her eyes and left it at that.

**Okay I ran out of idea with this one… help. As you can tell I was rushing and running out of things to write. I do believe I have hit a pot hole on this one…. :S**


	7. New Start

**Helloo! Finally, I have returned! I have been so busy with work and school and my birthday passed (and I was very inebriated… :D) and a few days ago a friend of my lil' bro-in-law committed suicide. (He was a very handsome and fun loving kid… I wish it would have been avoided, but I guess these things just happen.) Well, I decided to write tonight because I felt inspired by the will to go on and plus is nice fall weather out. ;) So without further a du….**

They walked through the Senkaimon and Rukia shunpoed home, leaving Byakuya in a state of shock. He didn't want to rush after her because he knew in part he was to blame for her being upset. She hadn't spoken a word to him since they left. He knew she was looking forward to the Open Mic night, but he had matters to tend to and she needed to report in anyway. He walked at his own pace through the hallways and was trying to find a way to convince Rukia to accept his offer. He had plans to make her the Lady of the Manor, and make their relationship public. (Like anyone needed convincing!) He thought about how great it would be to actually walk around with his wife in tote, and not have anyone look at them funny. Everyone knew they were not blood related, but there was a little speculation about them because she was his late wife's sister. It's not really frowned upon, but he did adopt her so he had to find a way to _un_ adopt her and make her his _wife_. He was walking past the gates to his division and stopped. He looked up and took notice of the particularly nice morning and took a deep breath.

"Oi Captain!" an annoyingly familiar voice shouted.

Byakuya looked down with his eyes first letting his head follow soon after.

"What is it Abari?" he said in his monotone voice.

"Why was Rukia crying?" Renji said as he approached him finally.

Byakuya closed his eyes, "It's none of your con-"

"Like hell it isn't! What did you do to her?" Renji was serious.

Byakuya opened his eyes and gave a deathly glare to Renji but Renji seemed unfazed.

"Are you assuming that I hurt Rukia? Absurd… You of all people should know that I _kill_ people who hurt Rukia, so why would I want to hurt her myself?"

Renji opened his mouth but Byakuya continued, "I suggest you get your story right before you attempt to confront someone."

He started to walk off when Renji pulled him by the shoulder; Byakuya glared at Renji.

"Don't ever hurt Rukia. I don't care how much she says she loves you, I will find a way to cut you down from your pedestal and kill you myself…"

Renji walked off and left Byakuya with his own thoughts.

_She loves me? She told him of all people?_ He thought to himself.

It was with that he flashed away in a hurry to his home.

Rukia sat in the garden by the Koi pond. She watched the pool of orange, white and some black swim around in a mixture of ripples and colors. Tears welled up and caused her to have blurred vision. She tucked her ankles to her thighs and hugged her knees tight, sobbing into her crossed arms. Byakuya stood from a short distance and watched. His heart ached for her, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to confront her. She was clearly upset, but still he wanted to know why. He slowly walked up behind her and attempted to place his hand on her shoulder when her head turned to him.

"Please don't" she said softly.

"Rukia, please tell me why you are crying?" he gently pleaded.

Rukia looked back at the pond and sighed. She felt like her dreams were not going to be full filled and that she would never know if she would make it as a singer. She looked back at him beside her and gave in; her head rested against his shoulder.

"I was really looking forward to the Open Mic night. I have this vision in my head of being a great singer one day…"

"And you will, Rukia. I promise that will happen…" he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"Then why did you make me come back home?" her voice cracked at the end of the sentence.

Byakuya pulled her forward and around so that she faced him, "I'm going to marry you…"

Her face turned pale and she was frozen where she sat with his hands on her shoulders.

"Y-you what?" she stuttered.

Byakuya pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, but I knew you were upset. I was going to fill out the paper work tonight so we could have a private ceremony by the end of the week. I love you, Rukia and I want to be able to wake up every morning to your smile and your graceful yawns."

Rukia looked back up at him quickly, "Byakuya Kuchki…did you just make a funny?"

He smiled and looked down into her huge violet eyes, "Did it work?"

Rukia wrinkled her nose and bit her lip, "Mmm… not quite, but given that you rarely make _funny_ remarks, I'll give you that one."

She reached up with her lips and kissed his gently, "I accept."

Turning around, Rukia took a hold of his arms and wrapped them around her firmly as they both looked off into the pond. His chin rested gently on her head and their arms and hands entwined.

Rukia hurried down the halls into the meeting room. She had to take a quick shower and change before going to see any important people. She took one last glance at a nearby mirror, and carefully entered the room. Much to her surprise, Byakuya stood patiently beside Yourichi and Ukiatke. A man sat a desk beside them and looked up at her through is circular glasses.

"Ahh you must be Rukia… come, come! You must get ready to sign." He squeaked.

Rukia stood beside Yourichi and looked up at her in confusion. Byakuya apparently hated her so why was she here and calmly standing _beside_ him? And why is Captain Ukiatke here? As these thoughts raced through her mind, the man continued his little speech about how the un adoption (or disownment) works. Since Yourichi was still a noble, the only thing to do was for her to adopt Rukia as a Shihōin and allow her to marry Byakuya. Ukiatke was there to witness the event and sort of give Rukia off. (* I will always maintain that she should be Yourichi's daughter and Ukitake's, but for this one it's Yourichi. ) Rukia looked up at Byakuya and smiled. She felt like a secret, but the kind that will have the whole Soul Society in a buzz. The man handed a pen to Byakuya who passed it to Yourichi and then to Rukia. As she approached the paper, she saw the writing and she smiled. It felt so surreal and even more so when she wrote her name as Rukia Shihōin. She put the pen down and smiled at Byakuya who lipped I love you.

**Ok sorry I had to cut this one short, more in store soon I promise! And I do stick to my guns when I say that Yourichi should adopt Rukia. She's kickass! **


	8. Promises

**Well as promised… here we go… **

Rukia stood at the door way of her bedroom and sighed. She held on to her Chappy plushy and pillow like a little girl would before going to bed. She hadn't been home for a while and it was a little strange being in her old room again. She closed the door and slowly made her way down the hall. Byakuya had insisted they spend the night together to get a feel for it. He didn't imply sex, just the feeling of having her company. It had been such a long time since he shared his bed like that and he was ready to start a new. Rukia's feet touched lightly on the wooden floors suppressing her whereabouts. The only thing that was giving her off was her unsteady reatsu. Unaware that Byakuya was three steps behind her, Rukia continued to walk in the direction of his room. She mumbled to herself along the way and he was trying to suppress a giggle. She suddenly stopped to pick up a small mouse that froze from fear when Byakuya ran into her (that's what he gets for walking around with his eyes closed all the time). She cupped the mouse in both her hands to shield it from any danger, and turned over to fall on her back. He stumbled, but didn't quite fall over.

"What the hell?" Rukia called from the ground.

"I'm sorry, I was walking behind you but you didn't seem to notice I was behind… Is that a rat?" his eyes screamed fear.

Rukia opened her hand to show him the tiny mouse in her palm but he took a few extra steps back. Her eyebrow arched.

"Byakuya Kuchki, are you _afraid_ of a little mouse?" she teased.

"Rukia, I would advise you to throw that vermin outside and away from me…" he said.

Rukia stood up and started to creep closer to him; his reaction was classic!

"RUKIA!" he screamed as she was now a few inches from him.

He flailed his arms in a particular manner and sped off to his room. Rukia set the mouse free and began a laughing fit. She laughed so hard she fell back to the floor and held her stomach. Tears began to flow as she cracked up even harder when his head popped out from his door. His eyes narrowed and he flashed to her side, scooped her up and took her to his room. He dropped her on his bed and stood with his arms crossed as she continued to laugh at him.

"That's quite enough Shihoin…" he winced inwardly as he tried to get used to her temporary last name.

Rukia sat up and wiped her eyes. Her sides hurt from the laughing and her head was beginning to pound. She didn't realize she was on _his_ bed until she felt around. Her eyes widened and she stopped giggling.

"Ah so I take it I found _your_ fear?" he snaked.

Rukia shot him a classic Yoruichi grin and his eyes grew large.

"You haven't even been a Shihoin for a day and you're already picking up her habits." he started.

"I am not afraid of you, Byakuya. In fact, I _know_ I am not afraid of you because I am the only person in the world who knows you. You don't scare me…"she boasted.

Byakuya casually sat beside her on the bed and lowered his head. Rukia was confused now; she thought she had really upset him. Leaning in to check on him, Rukia was surprised by an arm swinging back and taking her down, followed by a body on top. He pinned her down underneath himself and pressed his nose against hers.

"Don't be too coy with me, my Love… I know _exactly_ what you are afraid of." He breathed on her lips.

Rukia looked into his sexy grey eyes and smiled, "And just what might that be, Darling?"

Byakuya let up on her a little and ran his fingers through her hair.

"You are afraid to be alone." he started to say, as he took noticed how large her eyes became.

"W-what are you talking about?" she replied trying to push him off.

"Rukia…"he hummed, "My love I know _all_ your fears, your hopes and your dreams. Don't think I researched you."

Rukia cocked an eyebrow, "You researched me…After how many years?"

He smiled and kissed her lips gently, "Rukia, I'm talking about since day one… You have intrigued my mind, captivated my eye and stolen my heart. I have secretly followed you around with out you knowing. How do you think I am always there when you find trouble? I have loved you from the beginning and had no intentions of being with any other. I know you fear loneliness, therefore I give you love…"

Her eyes were full of tears and her body trembled. It was true she _did_ fear being left alone, but it angered her to know the truth now.

"I want to go back…" she said suddenly.

His eyebrow raised, "Huh?"

Rukia sat up and brushed her clothes off as if she had been thrown in the dirt, "You heard me. I want to back to Karukura Town…"

Byakuya closed his eyes and attempted to pull her into his arms, but she resisted.

"Rukia, what's wrong?"

"I can't believe you would tell me all this now. Why not when I was going to be killed? Why not when we defeated Aizen? Why not-"

"That's enough!" he voice boomed, "Rukia I don't understand why it would upset you so. You know I have been there for you every step of the way. As ridiculous as some of your little adventures are, have I not been supportive? Have I not been there beside you to save you if you needed saving?"

"So you doubt me now?" she growled.

His hands waved in front of him apologetically, "No, no, no, no that's not what I meant. What I meant to say was-"

"Forget it, I know _exactly_ what you mean; you pitied me. You felt like you _had_ to watch over me right? As if I could never take care of myself…" her voice began to crack.

Byakuya sighed. He knew arguing with her was like arguing with himself. He smiled inwardly because not only was he getting aroused by her stubbornness, but he was proud of her too. Proud that she felt so strongly and that she had the courage to stand up to him and speak to him so freely. He took her hands from her lap and pulled them to his chest. She tried to pull back, but he already anticipated that and countered with a quick jerk. He rested her palms on his chest to where she could feel his heart thumping against his chest. She looked up at him with a confused glare. His eyes met hers and locked into her soul.

"Do you feel this, Rukia?" he breathed.

Rukia nodded in reply, not yet ready to speak to him.

"Rukia, my heat has never been more complete that it is when you are here. Its' purpose now seems to be for you. I can't quite put a name to the feeling you give me when you look at me with those piercing eyes of yours. That smile," his finger traced her bottom lip, "That smile alone, I fear will some day be my demise. I have built myself from the bottom up and some how you manage to meet me at my level and remind me that I am only a man…"

He leaned in to kiss her and felt her lip trembling, "I love you, Rukia"

She closed her eyes and let the tears spill out. Something about the way he made her feel made her understand what he was saying. Her initial reaction was to kiss him, but she stopped herself.

"What about what I want? I have never asked you for anything… All I want to do is see where life takes me. You told me yourself that you would be willing to stay with me in Karukura town so long as it takes me, did you not?"

He sighed and dropped his head, "Yes I did say that…"

Rukia sort of half smiled, "All I want to do is sing. I want to know if it will take me some where I have never been before."

"But you can do that now…" he rebutted.

He took her by the arms gently and flashed to Senkaimon Hill. He settled her on the ground and faced her again.

"If you want to go anywhere in the world, just tell me and we will go right now…" he pleaded.

Frustrated now, Rukia pulled away from him, "Why are you so against this, Byakuya?"

After a minute of agonizing silence, he replied with, "I don't want to lose you…"

She saw the look in his eye. A look of hurt and pain; a look that said he would die if he did.

"How are you going to lose me?" she said calmly.

"Rukia, I am a lot older than I may appear. I have seen what happens to people when they become famous…" he sighed.

A convenient rock just so happened to be nearby and served as a good seat for him to slouch down on. Rukia sat beside him and looked up to the sky, "So what do you have in mind we do then?"

Byakuya looked up and over at her. The wind picked up a little, blowing stray strands in his face. She picked up her hand and was attempting to move them back, but his hand rested over it and pressed it on his cheek. His lips snuck up underneath and began leaving light kisses on her palm. Rukia's breath hitched as his free hand slid smoothly behind her and pulled her closer to him.

"Rukia, I need you… Not in the way a man wants a woman, but the way a soul needs a body or heart…I want to be your heart and soul…" he whispered on her skin as his lips trailed up her arm.

"You are my heart…" she confessed as his lips found their way to her neck.

He gently took her face in his hand and pressed his lips to hers. She opened her lips allowing his tongue to slide in and dance with hers as their embrace became more subtle. His hands caressed her back and made their way to her hair. He let her strands flow like silk through his fingers and gently pulled her head back to gain better access to her neck. He kissed and nipped at her neck for a good while before his hand slipped inside her robe and found her breast. The slight foreplay brought Rukia back to her reality and stopped him.

"Not until we are married, Kuchki." She smiled.

He was relieved to see her smile again and withdrew his hand, "That is fine, Shihoin…"

He scooped her up into his arms and began to walk back to the manor. Rukia was impressed that he didn't use his flash step.

"Taking it easy are we?" she lightly teased.

"I want to enjoy a night stroll with you…even if you are in my arms." He stated.

Rukia smiled and rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart thumping from inside again.

"You will always have my heart Rukia, no matter what." He said lightly enough for her to hear.

She looked up at him and smiled, "As do you… I love you…"

**Ok well this one was a little short too, but in my defense I have been working like a mad cow! . I think my manager is trying to kill me. Anyway, so things are looking up… I wonder if he will end up following her or it won't even come to it… We will just have to see now… :D**


	9. Friend

**Okay, now that I am at one story, I can finish up this one before starting on the others…. ****. I am looking at completing this story very soon so that I can start a new project… I do not own Bleach, cause if I did… ooooooooo boy! **** ha ha ha ha ha!**

Historically, Japanese wedding ceremonies were performed in Shinto Shrines. Many of Japan's wedding sites, therefore, provide shrines for couples who want to follow Japanese wedding traditions. In this case, the Kuchki manor was set up to resemble this Shrine and opened up for the 13 court guard squads' captains and lieutenants, and _some_ outsiders. Rukia paced anxiously in her room for Yoruichi and the dressing maids to start preparing her. She could see a few people showing up and grew even more anxious.

"Ugh… I hate being nervous…" she growled to herself.

"Then don't be…" Yoruichi's voice suddenly appeared.

The two little old ladies came in and began working on Rukia's kimono and her make up.

They painted her pure white from head to toe, visibly declaring her maiden status to the gods. She was then put in a white kimono and an elaborate headpiece, covered with many ornaments, to invite good luck to the happy couple. A white hood is attached to the kimono, which she will wear like a veil. She looked in the mirror and smiled…

"Wow…" she breathed.

"What's wrong, Rukia?" Yoruichi asked, coming from behind her.

Rukia shook her head and looked down, "I didn't think I would be this scared…"

Yoruichi smiled and patted her head, "You have nothing to worry about… you will do great..."

Rukia smiled and looked back up to the mirror and took a deep breath. She turned to Yoruichi and grinned, "Let's do this…"

Byakuya waited anxiously at the altar with the priest. He stood dressed in his wedding kimono, which is a combination of a montsuki kimono and a short haori overcoat with pleated hakama pants. Montsuki kimonos are used for ceremonies and special occasions which bears the family crest on both the front and back of the kimono. The kimono is full length and is tucked into the hakama pants. A matching haori overcoat is then worn over the kimono to complete the attire. His hands shook slightly as he started to become nervous. His eyes scanned over at the faces of their guests and he had to sigh inwardly.

"Rukia… any day now…" he said in his mind.

With in a matter of seconds from saying that, his eyes locked on the beautiful sight before him. She looked like a geisha, only dressed in white. Her eyes seemed to stand out more by her kimono and he felt his heart start a slower rhythm. She locked her eyes on him in his ceremonial wedding kimono and blushed. Deep inside she still couldn't believe she was about to marry him. Each step she took seemed like and eternity to get there.

Finally at his side, she took his hand and smiled. The priest opened his book and raised his hands, indicating for them to kneel. While they exchanged their wedding vows, their families and friends face each other, instead of the couple getting married. The sharing of sake is one of the oldest traditional Japanese wedding ceremonial customs, dating back to the 8th century. The sharing or toast of sake symbolizes a formal bond between the bride and groom.

The exquisite miniature sized sake set consists of three flat cups escalating in size. Starting with the smallest of the three cups, he leads by taking three sips and then Rukia. They then proceeded to the middle size and then to the large. At the conclusion of the sake toast ceremony, both families drank a cup of sake to signify not only the union of the bride and groom but the unity of two families. This beautiful custom is called San San Ku Do, which means "three sets of three sips equals nine".

…

…

…

For the wedding reception, the new bride changed into a red kimono and again later into a western-style gown. The wedding party and invited guests engaged in games, skits and karaoke during the wedding reception. Guests were expected to offer the couple goshugi - money - in a festive envelope either before or after the wedding ceremony, but being a Kuchki wedding, money gifts were not accepted.

Rukia sat in the garden bench as the party went on. She looked down at her finger and smiled at the wedding ring slipped on her finger earlier.

"That diamond doesn't compare to how beautiful you looked tonight…" a low, husky voice said.

Rukia smiled and closed her eyes, "Yeah, but my husband has no idea what he got himself into…"

Byakuya slipped in the spot next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Oh is that so?"

Rukia smiled as he placed a kiss on her head, "So now that we are married, what's to come?"

He looked off into the pond and sighed. He knew she wanted to go back and try out singing at the open mic night, but he was afraid that she might end up becoming the next big thing. If that were to happen, she would probably _never_ want to come back to the Soul Society again. In the living world, there was suffering, sickness, pain and he just wasn't ready to go through that. Not when they could have a life time together and never worry about dying. In his heart however, he wanted her to be happy and try something out that she might be good at, even if that meant living back in Karukura Town again.

"Whatever you desire…" he finally answered.

Rukia looked over at him and smiled again, "You're afraid aren't you?"

He was slightly stunned by her picking up on his thoughts. Byakuya leaned over and kissed her nose.

"We haven't even been married more than a day and you've already figured me out."

"Well, I _have _been around you long enough to know you better than anyone else." she boasted.

Byakuya chuckled lightly and nodded, "Even better than her…"

She blushed and looked back at the pond, "I just want to try it out…" she changed the subject, "Just to see if I am actually _capable_ of becoming something."

He decided not to reply. Giving a nod, he brought his other arm over and around her and pulled her into a gentle embrace. Rukia smiled and closed her eyes. The night sky was clear and full of stars, with a gentle breeze that swept through every now and then. Rukia took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The moon was full and almost a pale yellow; the clouds hid in the distance far away leaving only the stars to shine. They could hear the wedding party begin to die down and decided it was time to go back in before everyone started to look for them. As they made their way back, Byakuya slowed his steps and pulled Rukia closer to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

He gestured his head in the direction up ahead, to a figure sitting on the porch. It was Renji.

"Hey, Renji!" Rukia called as she walked up to him.

He looked up at her, still dressed in her evening kimono and sighed.

"Hey…"

Rukia wasn't satisfied with his answer and slugged him on his shoulder playfully.

"What's eatin' you?" she quizzed.

Byakuya smiled at her for having such a big heart, "I'll leave you two alone…" he said and walked off.

Renji made a face as he walked away, and Rukia noticed.

"Is it because I chose him?"

"No… I'm happy for you, Rukia. I really am. You're officially in now, and that means that you won't have anytime for your friends…that you won't have anytime for…"

"For you?" she interrupted.

Renji looked at her with a lump in his throat and tears threatening to spill.

"Well, yeah that too…I thought we would be friends forever…" he said, trying to hide the sadness within.

Rukia chuckled and patted him on the back, "Look, just because I married him doesn't mean I can't be your friend… We'll always be friends, you know that."

Renji turned his head and gave her a serious look, "You just don't get it do you?"

Before she could say anything else, Renji stood up and shunpoed away. Byakuya returned just in time to see Rukia sigh and shake her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Renji just isn't taking this well… I tried to explain it to him, but I don't think he gets it." she said.

Byakuya smiled at her concern for her friend and kissed the top of her head, "Let's go inside before the Elders leave."

Rukia walked along side him but took one last look in the direction Renji ran off in.

"I hope you will understand one day." she said quietly.

**Ok, so sorry for the late/crappy update. I'm about to start my divorce process from my ex, I'm also in the last two months or weeks should I say of fall semester, and my boss is being a … well you know… I plan to finish this one up soon, and Start a new project… **


	10. Honeymoon 1

**I am back finally! I had been working like crazy and school was just piling on the work! . So now here I am in an attempt to finish this chapter… Enjoy Darlings!**

Rukia woke up the next morning and rubbed her bleary eyes. For just a brief moment, she didn't believe she was now his _wife_! The thought alone made her grin in satisfaction, knowing now that no one could disapprove of their relationship. She rolled on to her side and looked at the sleeping form beside her. His hair gently cascaded his brilliant features, seeming to underline his lips and chin. His eyes closed, revealing his luscious, full eyelashes; Rukia felt her heart melting by the second. His lips twitched as a stand rested on them. Rukia gently slid her finger under the strand and moved it away, and his eyes opened at her touch.

"Good morning, husband…" she greeted cheerfully.

Byakuya smiled and blinked his eyes again slowly, "I see you've taken a liking to our new titles?"

Rukia cuddled closer to him as his arms welcomed her in a loving embrace, "Well of course!"

Byakuya kissed her head and rested his chin on it, "So what are our plans for today?"

Rukia moved away slightly and looked up into his eyes, "I want to go back…"

"Rukia…" he sighed, "We were only married last night. Can't this wait a few days?"

She smiled knowingly and nodded, "Okay. I am not going to fight you on this. I will just let it come when it does… but remember, I am a Kuchki now, and my patience can run thin at some point."

She smiled at him and hopped off the bed. Byakuya watched her grab a robe and prance off into the bathroom. He rolled on his back and sighed heavily. He knew at one point he was going to have to let her do this. This meant the world to her, and he wanted her to be happy. However at the same time, he did not want to chance losing her in the spot light life. He smiled when he heard the shower turn on and started thinking about their wedding day morning. As he was about to hop out of the bed and engage in "extra-curricular activities", a servant knocked at the door.

"Yes?" he called in his monotone voice.

"Master Kuchki, Lieutenant Abari is waiting for you at the front gate…" the servant said bowing.

"I will be there shortly." Byakuya replied trying to hide his annoyed tone.

He dragged out of bed, now that he lost his enthusiasm, and stopped in front of the door. He could hear Rukia singing a song and humming along every now and then. The sound of her voice made his heart skip a beat and he smiled as he knocked on the door.

"I will be right back… please be waiting for me on the bed." He called.

He heard Rukia giggle before she called back, "okay…"

…

…

…

…

"What is it, Renji?" Byakuya asked once he reached the door.

"I want to talk to you about Rukia…" Renji replied.

Byakuya stepped outside with him and crossed his arms, "What about her?"

Renji swallowed and took a deep breath, "You stole her away from me again!"

Byakuya stood emotionless and simply stared.

"I have always loved Rukia, and the day I was going to tell her _you_ took her from me… And now _this_?"

Still nothing…

"Can you hear me? Or are you too full of yourself-"

"That's quite enough, Renji… Rukia had all the freedom in the world to choose who she wanted to be with, and just because she chose me doesn't mean that _I_ took her form _you_. Don't be too quick to judge things you have no clue about. Rukia loves you in a way that only friends do, she loves me differently. Get your priorities straight… forget Rukia." Byakuya scolded.

Renji glared at him and placed his hand on his hilt, "I can't…"

Byakuya sighed inwardly and shook his head, "I am not going to fight you. If I kill you, my wife would never forgive me and I could not have that…"

Renji's reiatsu flared up as his rage began to filter through.

"It is best that you leave now while your head is still attached to your head." Byakuya warned.

As he turned away to go back in, Renji jumped at him and kicked him in the back. Byakuya flashed away before he touched the ground and appeared behind Renji suddenly, "I told you not to…"

The two began to fight; Byakuya inflicted the first wound to Renji's arm.

"Really… I would hate to have to explain to Rukia why her best friend is dead…"

"Bastard!" Renji growled as he lunged at him again.

The two exchanged swings and shoves until Renji caught Byakuya off guard and sliced him on his leg.

"No so tough now are we?" Renji called.

"I do not wish to fight you in front of Rukia…" Byakuya said and sheathed his sword.

"What the hell is going on here?" Rukia called suddenly from the doorway.

Renji looked at her dressed in a robe and looking as mad as ever.

"Rukia! I..I.."

"You what? I already told you that we are nothing more than friends, Renji. I want to be with Byakuya…" she said.

"I can't let you do that…"

"I already have… he is my _husband_, Renji. Why can't you just be happy for me and accept that?" she finally calmed down.

Renji was so hard headed; he still refused to accept it.

Rukia stood beside Byakuya and took his arm in hers.

"Renji, I love him. There is nothing or anyone who can change that. I am married to the man I want to be with." she explained again.

Renji dropped his head in defeat, "You really mean that?"

Rukia nodded.

"Fine…" he sheathed his sword and turned away, "It was fun, Rukia… I'll see you around."

He took two steps, one last look at Byakuya and Rukia and disappeared. Rukia hugged Byakuya's arm tighter and rubbed her cheek against it. He looked down and saw the look on her face. He knew she worried about Renji, but he also knew that she was telling him the truth. His hand rested against her cheek and lifted her head up to look at him.

"You did the right thing, Rukia." he said in an understanding voice.

"You think he will be okay?" she asked.

Byakuya smiled and kissed her nose, "Let's go have some breakfast and see what we can do today."

…

…

…

…

"When would you like to go?" Rukia asked handing Byakuya the chopsticks.

"Go? Where,?" his hands clutched the sticks once in his grasp.

"On our honeymoon of course…" Rukia said with a little bit of rice in her mouth.

Byakuya sighed inwardly and picked at his food, "Whenever you would like, Rukia."

He looked up at her as she placed a chopstick on her chin and looked up at the ceiling. He thought it was cute when she would think like that. He always imagined her with a little bubble over her head as she brainstormed. Her lips pursed a bit and her eye squinted, giving her a cock-eyed appearance. He smiled as she seemed to come back from her world…

"I want to go to the Himeji-jo Castle in Japan. When I was in the living world and attended class, we read about this place. I think you would love it, too because around this time is when they have the Sakura Celebrations." she smiled.

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow at the sound of that. Since when did she take a liking into Feudal history?

**History Briefing: **The Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex located in Himeji, in Hyōgo Prefecture. It is regarded as the finest surviving example of 17th century Japanese castle architecture. It comprises a network of 83 buildings with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakurojō ("White Egret Castle"), or Shirasagijō, ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.

Himeji Castle dates to 1333, when Akamatsu Norimura, built a fort on top of Himeyama hill. The fort was dismantled and rebuilt as Himeyama Castle in 1346, and then remodeled into Himeji Castle two centuries later [16th century]. Himeji Castle was then significantly remodeled by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1581, adding a three-story castle keep! In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for his help in the Battle of Sekigahara. Ikeda completely rebuilt the castle from 1601 to 1609, expanding it into a large castle complex. Several buildings were later added to the castle complex by Honda Tadamasa from 1617 to 1618. For over 400 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji in World War II and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and various typhoons.

Himeji Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan. It was registered in 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan. The area within the middle moat of the castle complex, is a designated Special Historic Site and five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures. Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle, it is considered one of Japan's three premier castles. In order to preserve the castle buildings, Himeji Castle is currently undergoing restoration work that is expected to continue for several years.*

…

…

…

They had their bags packed and waiting for them by the door. Since they were going to the living world, they really didn't need much but a few things. Rukia took a few cameras and some kimonos she knew she couldn't find in the living world. Byakuya watched her as she strode along side his as if she was proud to be his wife. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Are you as excited as I am?" she asked.

"As long as I am with you, Rukia…" he replied, taking her hand in his.

They came up to the Senkaimon and stopped. Rukia took a step, but stopped when she felt him stay put.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Rukia, are you sure this is what you want to do for our trip?" Byakuya queried.

She nodded in response, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I know how much you wanted to sing at that place, and I don't want you to do something simply because you know I would like it."

"Well, that can wait. Right now it's about us and I figured that would be a place we could both enjoy. It's a beautiful place you know…" she said.

Without further questioning, he proceeded to walk with her through the gates.

…

…

…

When they arrived in Hyōgo Prefecture, they stood in the park and took in the beautiful setting before them. The trees were green and starting to show signs of spring. They weren't in the Himeji Castle yet, but they were close enough to see it peeking above the trees. Byakuya took her hand once again and made their way to a shop operated by Kisuke, but under a close friend of his. They went in and Byakuya spoke to the shop keeper as Rukia looked through some maps and pamphlets about nearby places to visit. The shop keeper went to the back for a minute and came out with their gigai's and some supplies. Byakuya handed Rukia her supplies and took his in hand.

"I think we should change in the changing room… I don't think people would take kindly to us just appearing out of no where…" he said comically.

Rukia chuckled, "I think you just made a funny, Byakuya."

They started to walk to the back, "So I did…" Byakuya thought out loud.

Rukia stepped into her gigai as he did as well. They started to put on their jackets and sort out their identification supplies. Rukia looked at her card and smiled.

"_Rukia Kuchki_…" it read on the i.d.

"You know, I have always been Rukia Kuchki, but now it feels so different now that I am _Mrs_. Kuchki… ooh and I'm twenty two!" she laughed at the last part.

She took his and glanced at it, "Twenty six?"

Byakuya looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Did you expect me to be the same age as you?"

Rukia looked up and him and smirked, "No… I expected them to put you a bit older than that!"

Byakuya smiled and tucked the i.d. back in his wallet. In reality, he was about 150, and she was a mere 100. Thanks to Kisuke and his connections, they were able to make an i.d for both of them. As they walked out from the back, the shop keeper smiled and nodded.

"I hope you enjoy your visit here. This place is known for a few good things, and the place you will be staying has been known for its magical powers…"she added.

Rukia looked at her with a warm smile, "Thank you… we will be sure to visit as much as we can."

They left the store and a few minutes later, arrived at the hotel next to the castle. It appeared to be old and held a gothic appearance to it. The walls were covered in vines and the base of the perimeter was engulfed in flower bushes. The doors looked like huge gates from far away, but once they came up to it, it just turned out to be normal brown wooden doors. As they walked in, Rukia was taken aback at the beauty with in. The stairs beside the check in desk cascaded their way up to the next level. The lights were designed to mimic lanterns and the room smelled of sweets and flowers. A girl stood behind the desk with a warm, welcoming smile. She held out a book for them to sign.

"Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Kuchki. We are glad to have you come and stay with us for your honeymoon. Just sign in and leave your bags here and they will be brought up to your suite…"

She smiled at Rukia and then at Byakuya, "This is a special room. I have been told by my grandmother that it holds a special power for true love. She told me this story when I was a little girl, and she said her grandmother and grand mother before told her the exact same story… Would you like me to tell you as I show you the way?"

Byakuya was about to decline, but Rukia walked along side the girl, "Please do!"

The girl smiled and sighed, "My grandmother would tell me that at night when two people who are destined to be together join in love, that time would stop for them. Whatever they were doing would seem like an eternity and show them what their future together would be like. She also said that if they, ummm, well you know…" she blushed as did Rukia, "That they would be blessed with a child soon after!"

They arrived to the room and the girl stopped, "Well, here is your room. If you need anything my name is Kim and I am just a phone call away. The balcony has a wonderful view of the castle and most of the city. At night, I recommend you star gaze…It's simply breath taking!"

She bowed to them and they bowed back. Rukia turned the key and stepped in with Byakuya right behind her. They both stopped in amazement at the beauty of the room. Upon entering, the kitchenette to the left housed a beautiful gas stove with a microwave overhead. The marble counter top accented the stainless steel settings and the refrigerator beside it was big enough to hold food for a month! Through the bar the living room was in plain sight; a love seat sat in front of a fireplace and a small coffee table. A flat screen television rested up on the wall, beside a few hanging flowers. There was a sliding glass door on the left, exposing the balcony and a glimpse of the natural beauty of the surrounding forest. The bathroom had an enormous sunken tub-for-two, perfect for the couple who wished to sip champagne in pure luxury, while in complete privacy.

A narrow staircase lead to a loft with a comfy, queen size bed and tall windows through which you can see the moon shining on the Sakura trees. Rukia was breath taken; Byakuya smiled at her reaction.

"Have you ever imagined it would be this beautiful?" he asked.

Rukia shook her head and sat the key on the bar top. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"I've wanted to do that all day…"

Rukia blushed and started to walk to the balcony to look at the castle. In her mind, she was too busy thinking about how beautiful the place was and couldn't wait to visit the Himeji Castle tomorrow. Byakuya watched her walk out onto the balcony and lean over to view the scenery. He followed soon after and was amazed at the sight before him. The trees were blooming and turning a deep green. The birds sang and flew about getting ready for their night roosting. The sky was beginning to turn orange and the castle was looking more marvelous than before. Rukia breathed in the cool air and sighed.

"I want to go there first…" she pointed out.

Byakuya rested his hand on her shoulder and smiled, "Whatever you wish…"

She turned and looked up into his eyes, "You know… I love you."

He leaned over and kissed her, "And I love you, Rukia."

She rested her head on his chest and felt his arms wrap her securely in his embrace. She watched the night sky start to form and felt the air grow a little cooler.

"Rukia, lets go inside and get ready for bed. We are going to start early in the morning." his voice finally broke the silence.

She nodded and followed him in. Their bags had been brought up along with a meal and some wine. Rukia looked at him with a grin as she held the bottle in her hands.

"Would you like to join me in a bath?" she asked.

Byakuya turned from what he was doing and watched Rukia as she walked up to him with the bottle in one hand and a robe in the other. He pulled the robe from her hand…

"I don't think you will need this…" he said as he scooped her up in his arms and made his way to the bathroom.

…

…

…

…

As the water ran, Rukia began to remove her clothes. She took off her blouse when Byakuya appeared behind her and put his arms around her slender waist. His warm breath flowed across her neck, as he leaned forward to begin nibbling from the bottom of her neck, up to her ear. One of his hands slowly worked its way up to her breast, while the other began inching down the front of her skirt. She could feel the hem start to rise. She tilted her head to the side giving him more access, as he leaned in further and inadvertently pressed up against her. The feeling of his erection pressing against her firm ass felt so good, that he couldn't help but to moan softly in her ear. The smell of her perfume, and the feel of his body pressed against hers, was too much for him to resist, he reached his right hand up between her legs. His fingers eased their way to the back of her left leg, just under her ass, and his thumb rubbed against the wet spot that had formed just below her thong. Rukia mewled as his fingers rubbed the outside of her panties causing her to grow wetter by the second. His thumb moved closer to the wetness that was still seeping from her panties and his finger moved under the long string that ran up along her ass. A loud gasp escaped her lips as the tip of his finger began to probe further. At the same time his thumb slid inside the front of her panties and rubbed against her swollen clit. Rukia squirmed and wriggled as he worked her up for a few minutes.

"Let's get in the tub…" he breathed into her ear.

Rukia nodded as they undressed and kissed their way to the tub. Rukia sat beside him as he continued to kiss her. His hands brushed against her face and ran through her hair. She ran her hands over his chest and abs slowly making her way to his erection. Her hands gripped firmly on him and earned a groan from his lips. Rukia began to stroke him and bit his lips.

"What do you want, Rukia?" he hissed.

"I want you…" she purred.

"Is that what you want?" he said thrusting himself in her hand.

"Hmmm…" Rukia smiled on his lips.

He pulled her to his lap and Rukia spread her legs to mount him. He slowly inserted just the tip inside her outer lips, and waited; Rukia was beside herself with desire. Raising her legs up, she wrapped them around Byakuya's waist and she started pulling him deeper insider her.

Rukia let out a soft moan when his hips pushed against her thighs. Byakuya reached behind her, grasped her hips, and pulled her even further onto him so that he could completely fill her. It felt so good that Rukia didn't want him move for a moment. This position arched her back enough so that he was pressing on her g-spot. The pressure was so exquisite that she could feel a steady flow of her juices as they ran down to her ass and into the water.

Seeing the wanton look in her eyes, Byakuya began making slow rhythmic thrusts into her. As he began to quicken his pace, Rukia's words became broken. She had to pause between his powerful thrusts.

"Oh… Byakuya… Don't…Stop!" she cried.

Digging his nails deeper into the soft flesh of her ass, Byakuya pulled her even closer to him and forced his way deeper inside. Rukia screamed out as if she were being ripped apart. Her words no longer made sense. All that remained were her cries of pleasure, as she reached up and grabbed Byakuya's shoulders. He lifted her up from his lap suddenly, and without warning, quickly lowered her fully onto him. The sudden impalement took her breath away. Digging her nails deeply into his shoulders, Rukia began lifting herself up and down. She rode Byakuya faster and faster as she felt herself nearing her climax.

Byakuya could feel Rukia's walls clenching him tighter and knew he was getting close to his own orgasm, but didn't want it to end. He turned her over on her knees and waited for her to get a hold of the tub. He grasped both her hips and pulled quickly, while thrusting forward, penetrating her fully.

The change of positions kept Rukia on the edge, but she couldn't topple over into the oblivion of her orgasm. She grabbed onto the edge of the tub for extra leverage. Pulling harder, to meet each thrust he made, Rukia tried to take him deeper. Her fingers grew raw from digging in so hard, but she didn't care. She was willing do anything right now.

Wrapping his right arm around he waist, Byakuya began using his other hand to grope at her breasts. Her nipple peaked with excitement as he pounded her and his hand fondled it. When his fingers lightly pinched her nipple, Rukia squealed in delight. Moving to her other breast he pinched again, while thrusting as hard as he could; she screamed. This was all of the encouragement that Byakuya needed, or could stand. With one final thrust, he buried himself to the hilt and began cumming with her. Once again Rukia gripped the tub and began thrusting herself at him as hard as she could. She impaled herself onto him, and tried to milk every last drop out of him. The waves of her climax continued to crash over her and she felt as if she might drown in orgasmic bliss. Rukia let out a moan and rolled her head back as he tugged gently on her hair. Her body shook as he worked on completing her orgasm. Rukia turned around as she disconnected from him, and looked at him as she felt her body begin to come down from its high. Byakuya pulled her closer and kissed her lips fiercely. She sat on his lap and rested her hand on his shoulder. He could feel her body still shaking and smiled.

"Was that what you wanted?"

Rukia blushed, "Well, yes… and I expect more like that in the future…"

He chuckled lightly and reached over to the wine bottle. He popped the loosened cork and poured them both a glass. Rukia took hers and sat beside him as he turned with his in hand.

"A toast…" she smiled, "To our future as husband and wife."

Byakuya nodded as they tapped their glasses together and took a drink. Rukia looked at the glass and its contents and pursed her lips.

"Wine is nasty!" she growled.

Byakuya tried no to laugh at her silly face, but at that point he lost his composure. Rukia was surprised by his reaction and set her glass on the tub's rim.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

Byakuya shook his head and set his glass beside her, "Noting…"

"Nothing? Then Why are you laughing?" she probed.

"You make the cutest faces and the silliest remarks…" he confessed.

Rukia smiled and took her glass back in her hand, "Well I am a Kuchki, you know…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, slightly changing his tone.

Rukia shrugged, "Mmm nothing…"

He smiled because he knew what she was doing. He drank some more wine and set the glass back down and splashed an unexpecting Rukia.

"How dare you!" she smiled.

"It's a Kuchki thing…" he replied coolly.

Rukia splashed him back and the two began to play in the tub.

**Ok, so it is a longer chapter because I wanted to research this place in Japan. (*) means that the information was found on wiki-pedia. I looked this place up because my fiancée was asking me where I wanted to go on our honeymoon once we get married. It's a beautiful place! Anyway, I hope you like the extra special lemon… I got creative. **** I hope to wrap this up soon… school finals are starting up soon and I hate to keep this one lingering unfinished. Please R&R! Thank you Darlings! 3**


	11. Honeymoon 2

**Good day to you! **** Sorry it has taken me so long to update. I have gotten caught up with school, work and the holidays…I would like to give shot outs to alinda arch, K-power80, Musicgirl1796, CielDoll and su kuchiki (my frequent commenters) Thank you for giving me the motivation I need! As for my other commenters, I love you guys just as much! You are all appreciated in my book! ****… Without further Ad u…**

The Himeji Castle is adorned with a plethora of architectural and defensive elements making it an outstanding Japanese fortress of the medieval era. It features white walls, eaves, and pillars each of which is coated with the white plaster. These plasters with the wooden furnishings make the entire castle fireproof giving it full protection from fire. So, the first reason for making it unconquerable and unbreakable is its fireproof buildup.

Next, the complex's design is like a complicated maze wherein many confusing ways and walls raise the chances of being lost while being on the way to reach atop the hill. This is true even though the routes to the castle are marked. This plan was implemented purposely so that no invader would ascend successfully to reach the castle. This is the second reason why this castle was conquered by nobody. Looking at the standard features that are seen in the other Japanese castles, this strong edifice possesses some typical layout features such as the tall stone creations, stone-dropping niches, and gun emplacements. These special features aided in keeping an eye on the invaders who can then be fired upon. Further, the main attraction is actually its defensive structure wherein all the baileys, gates, and outer walls are positioned in such a manner that one can easily reach several dead ends spirally instead of reaching the main castle. This forms the last and third reason for the castle remaining undefeated.

Byakuya marveled at the huge palace before him. He was in awe! Rukia had run off and found a place that housed the palace's pets. (Go figure…). He walked by the small river that ran by the walls of the castle, this place was so peaceful and elegant. He watched a Koi fish swim by and thought of his own back in the Soul Society. He looked up at the huge structure before him and closed his eyes. In his mind, he was debating whether or not to give up being an immortal being and becoming human in the living world. He was still pestered by the thought that his Rukia wanted to become a singer. That then made him realize she had vanished a few minutes earlier and he went in search of her.

Rukia sat in the grass and played with the rabbits that roamed freely in the gardens. A fluffy white rabbit napped calmly on her lap as she fed another that came to investigate. Byakuya found her, but decided to keep his distance for a minute to watch her interact with the furry creatures. He smiled as the brown rabbit she was feeding then hopped on her lap beside the white one, and then another came. Rukia smiled, but she looked to be getting bombarded by rabbits.

"Are you alright?" he asked from his distant spot.

Rukia looked up and smiled. She had about six rabbits around her now, and they all seemed to want to nap on her. Byakuya chuckled as she tried to push them off but with no prevail.

"Ok, maybe I do need your help…" she giggled.

He strode up to her and took her hand in his, lifting her gently from the ground. The rabbits scattered slowly as the two began to walk away.

"So what do you think so far, Rukia?" he asked brushing off some grass from her pants.

"I love it here! It's so peaceful and quiet…It kind of reminds me of home." she smiled.

He smiled knowingly and also because he knew they were on the same page at that point.

"Rukia, what would you think if we left the Soul Society and lived as humans?" he offered.

Rukia stopped walking and looked at him funny, "What?"

"I'm considering moving to the living world for the time being…." He replied.

Rukia was taken aback and stared at him, "Are you serious?"

Giving Rukia a smirk and a huff he replied, "Well why not? You always spend your time here anyway; I don't see the harm in living here for a while."

She looked away and stared off into the pond. Byakuya slid his arm around her and scooped her into his embrace, "Think about it for a while… Let's go have dinner."

They shared a quiet dinner together on the balcony of the hotel room as the evening sky began to show. Rukia stared off into the bright colors and Byakuya watched with a smile.

"You know Rukia," he broke the silence, "If we had a place like this here you could enjoy sunsets like this all the time."

Rukia smiled in reply, "I don't know if I can let you give up your duty as the head of the Kuchki's."

"As much as I have worked in the past centuries, I think I am entitled to a hiatus." He smirked.

Rukia looked into his eyes and bit her lip, "Really? We could live here for a few years?"

He put his napkin on the table and reached out for her hand, "Just say the word and it is done."

Rukia's smile went from a shy little smirk to a huge flashy smile in a matter of seconds, "YES!"

"Very well then, I will make arrangements for a house and then we can start moving in as soon as we find one." He smiled at her.

Rukia jumped out of her seat and into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Thank you so much!"

"Rukia, for you to be happy and smile like this I would do anything." He said closing the deal with a kiss.

…

…

…

…

They went through the city in search of the perfect house that next day. Rukia was more excited than ever and didn't notice the sign outside of a pub.

_Open Mic Night Tonight_

_ 7:30 pm_

_ Sign in here…_

"Rukia, let's go in here…" Byakuya said pulling her into the pub with him.

"Why? It's just a…" her mouth dropped when she saw the stage and the man sitting beside it.

"W-what are we doing here?" she asked nervously.

"You are going to sing, my love." He smiled as he finished signing her in.

Rukia's face turned red and she swallowed. There was no backing down now as the man handed Byakuya a paper with a huge number printed on it.

"It looks like you are number 3…" he smiled as he placed in on her.

Rukia looked up at him as he finished pressing on the tape to her back. She could feel her nerves trembling as the first group made its way up the stage. Byakuya pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the top of her knuckles, "You're going to be fine, Rukia." He coaxed.

Rukia's eyes were large and the size of saucers at this point, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You have faced countless hollows, near death experiences and me but something as small as this frightens the hell out of you?" he laughed.

Rukia gently nudged him in the rib, "You would be frightened too if you had to go up there."

He lovingly placed his hands on her shoulders and spoke into her ear.

"I have spoken in front of many people before, Rukia. It's nothing to get worked up about. You will do fine because I have confidence in you."

She sighed as the first group came down from the stage and the next singer was preparing to walk up. Byakuya handed Rukia a bottle of water, "Would you like me to accompany you?"

She turned around and looked at him, "What do you mean? You want to sing with me?" she sounded so hopeful.

He pulled a guitar from a prop stand and slipped into the strap resting the guitar on his chest.

"I know how to play this thing…" he joked as he plucked a string.

Rukia rolled her eyes, "Don't get my hopes up like that…"

He tapped her on the shoulder and smiled as she turned around, "I do know how to play though."

…

…

…

It was her turn finally. She shook slightly as she made her way to the stage and her heart stopped when she saw how many people actually showed up.

"G-good evening…" she stuttered into the mic.

"_Come on! Sing already!_" a voice shouted from the crowd.

Rukia cleared her throat but nothing would come out. She made an attempt at a first note, but it came out squeaky causing the crowd to start jeering. Her heart was pounding, she was sweating, her vision was becoming blurry until…

The musical sound of an acoustic guitar began to quiet the crowd. It was a melody Rukia had heard some time ago, but she favored it because it reminded her of Byakuya, who just so happened to be walking up beside her playing it. He gave her a re assuring wink and continued to play the intro when she finally grew the courage to sing…

"Sayin' 'I love you' is not the words I want to hear from you…" she started.

"It's not that I want you not to say, but if you only knew." Byakuya stunned her with his voice.

She smiled and sang her next part, "How easy it would be to show me how you feel…"

At this time, they turned and faced each other, "More than words is all you have to do to make it real, then you wouldn't have to say that you love me, cause I'd already know…"

The song continued as they started to sing to more and more to each other than the crowd, but they didn't care. Couples started to get up and slow dance to the melody the two made up on stage together. Rukia sang her heart out as Byakuya played the guitar like he had played on an everyday basis. Little did they know that some was watching them in the crowd.

…

…

…

They hurried to the hotel room laughing and chasing each other all the way up the stairs. As they made their way into the room, Rukia scampered off into the room to grab some clothes and Byakuya flopped on the couch exhausted from tonight's activities. He couldn't believe he went on the stage with her and sang. He hadn't done anything like that in ages. He could still hear her humming away as she changed and he smiled to himself. It was well worth it.

"Did you have fun tonight, Rukia?" he called from the couch.

"Yes!" she chirped back.

"I'm glad because that took a lot for me to do as well." He admitted.

Rukia giggled and appeared at the doorway wearing her chappy nightgown. She looked over at him sunk into the couch and she smiled, he looked so comfortable. She walked up to him and curled up on his lap. Surprised by her sudden contact his eyes sprung open and dropped back down again with a smile. He curled an arm around her and cuddled her closer.

"I hope you had fun tonight." He whispered on her head, leaving a kiss behind.

Rukia was so comfortable she had almost fallen completely asleep. She heard him, but only managed to reply with a soft grunt. Byakuya smiled and rested his head on hers and soon fell asleep after her.

**Ok so it was short I'm sorry. I was trying to produce as fast as I could but alas… school is getting the better of me. Three essays in one month! I love my 1301 teacher, but I think she is trying to kill us! . I've gotten my job to let me have a "free day" so maybe that will help me finish this story up some. **


	12. Do you believe in magic?

**Hello! ^.^ I am finally enjoying a day off from school and work! It's such a lovely feeling! Well, I have given much thought about this story and after reviewing it I have decided to make it a little longer. I want to further probe the adventures Rukia might encounter along the way, and I think I'm going to hold off on her having a baby just yet. I'm on a birth control fit right now… ^.^ Well, here I go… 3**

Rukia was the first to wake up to the sound of scraping at the door. She rubbed her bleary eyes and looked down at her sleeping love completely forgetting the sound at the door. Her mind drifted off some where when a loud bang startled both of them. Byakuya's reaction was to grab Rukia and hide her, but when he realized she was still sitting on his lap, he clutched on to her tighter.

"What is that noise?" she whispered.

The bang sounded a little louder this time, and he knew right away that someone was trying to break in. Rukia jumped off his lap and hurried to the room to change as Byakuya stood up and headed to where he hid his kitana… (he never leaves home without Senonsakura, that's like his master card, "Don't leave home without it!") Rukia slipped out from the room carrying her kitana as well and Byakuya managed to snicker a little.

"Seriously?" he whispered pointing at his own kitana.

Rukia looked at his and then back at hers and giggled with a shrug when the jiggling of the door knob got their attention again. They slid up against the wall as the door creaked open and prepared themselves for an attack when Rukia noticed the alleged burglar.

"Renji?" she quickly called before Senbonsakura's blade sliced his ear off.

"You're here!" he replied in a shocked tone.

"What is the meaning of this?" Byakuya asked sheathing his sword.

Renji made a face of irritation at him and turned to Rukia, "It's Ichigo… he's in a lot of trouble!"

Rukia stared at him seriously for a second before the obvious set in, "How did you find us?"

Renji seemed to struggle a bit for an answer, but then finally came out with, "Soul Reaper tracking."

Both Rukia and Byakuya made a face in disbelief that the Soul Society would actually be keeping tabs on them, but then again it has happened before and Byakuya _is_ a top ranking captain.

"So why did they send you to alert us and not through our Soul pagers?" Rukia probed.

She was more than curious now as to why he was trying to find them, and if Ichigo _was_ in trouble, why hadn't _he_ contacted her himself like he usually would? Byakuya crossed his arms and glared at Renji.

"I specifically said that no one was to disturb us during our honeymoon, I highly doubt-"

Byakuya was shortly cut off by Renji's interruption, "I came on my own!"

Rukia blinked in a start at this, "Renji did you make this up just to bother us?"

"And breaking in, Abari? Really?" Byakuya added with a now annoyed tone.

Renji was already beginning to grow frustrated by his interrogation. He looked over at Rukia and then glared at Byakuya.

"I hate you." He growled.

Rukia moved in front of Byakuya and crossed her arms, "Renji, now is not the time for childish arguments. I have already told you-"

"**I DON'T CARE!"** Renji shouted and pulled Rukia into his arms.

"I've lost you once to this jerk and I am not going to stop trying to win you back until I am-"

"Dead…" Byakuya cut in and quickly drew his blade to Renji's neck as he pulled Rukia away from danger. Renji was caught off guard and moved forward after Rukia causing the blade to tear into the first layer of skin, drawing blood. He froze in his tracks and shot a glare at Byakuya. He gripped the hilt of his sword but then felt a hand pull it away. Byakuya was now standing behind him with his hand halfway up his own back. The pain caused Renji to tense up allowing the blade to dig a little deeper.

"I wouldn't move if I were you." Byakuya hissed in his ear. His breath practically burned the back of his neck and his grip seemed to crush his hand.

"Don't you _ever __**EVER**_ touch my wife again... Do you hear me?" the words dripped like venom from his lips.

Renji had seen him mad before, but never in his entire lieutenant career had he seen him _this_ angry before. He swallowed hard, feeling the blade pressed hard against his throat and the hot blood dripping from him. Rukia stood in fear and confusion in front of the ordeal until she finally came to her senses.

"Byakuya! Please, stop!" she pleaded.

Byakuya looked over at her and lowered his sword, "You're lucky she's here or else I would have killed you."

Renji gripped his wounded neck and slumped to the floor as Rukia stood over him. She was angry at him for coming. She was angry at him because he would not stop. She didn't know what else to say.

"Renji, I want you to leave me alone and _never_ talk to me again until I am ready. I will not leave Byakuya, and I definitely will not leave him for you…" her voice cracked, but she remained strong.

Renji looked up into her eyes and saw that she was doing this for his own good. He tucked his tail between his legs so to speak, and stood up. He looked one last time at Byakuya with pure hatred in his eyes. Then he returned to look once more at Rukia and lowered his head. Without another word, he slipped out of the door for the last time.

…

…

…

"Do you like this one?" Rukia called pointing at a house.

Byakuya stood beside her and nodded, but didn't reply. Rukia rested her fists on her hips and began to tap her foot.

"Byakuya Kuchki, you have not said two words to me since we left the hotel. Do you want to tell me something?" she demanded.

He chuckled and tilted his head, "You haven't even been my wife for a month and you are already starting to act like me…"

Rukia stopped tapping her foot and smiled, "It's because I know you like the back of my hand…Now let's have it."

Byakuya pulled her into his embrace and rested his head on her head. He inhaled her scent and closed his eye.

"I love you more than you will ever know, Rukia…" he sighed, "I just feel bad for the way I acted back there. I never wanted you to see that side of me, but when he put his hands on you I lost it."

Rukia looked straight up until her nose touched his chin, "Is that what's bugging you? You think I'm afraid of you now?"

She moved forward and turned to face him.

"I almost killed him, Rukia…" he said.

Rukia took his hand in hers and pulled him along, "You did what you had to and so did I… Now let's put that behind us and find our new home… There's only three more left according to this brochure."

Byakuya rolled his eyes, "Three more?"

Rukia playfully jerked his arm, "Come on you!" she giggled.

They came across a big white two-story house with huge iron-gate doors and a neatly placed sign that read "Open House". The fence line was disguised with greenery and small pink flowers enlacing along the way. The walk way was made with granite stone and perfectly aligned with small flowering bushes. The house was perfect from what Rukia could see. They walked in the gates and made their way up to the big red doors on the semi wrap around porch. Rukia looked up and marveled at the size of the door.

"This sure is a big door…" she pointed out.

Byakuya smiled and proceeded to push open the door as Rukia followed close behind. The two stopped in the entrance just at the base of the beautiful staircase and took in the huge rooms on either side. There was a waiting room that was maybe the size of a small loft with huge windows on both sides. The fireplace sat in the middle of the room facing the front of the house; it had a large mirror resting on top of the mantle and had enough room on top for all kinds of decorations and knick knacks. Rukia looked up at Byakuya and pulled him on to the next room.

"I have plans for that room…" she giggled.

Byakuya was about to say something when she gasped suddenly. They had entered the dining room and Rukia was blown away. This room had one extremely big window that displayed the front yard and this room, too had a fireplace that was built on the side of the house. This fireplace did not have a mirror like the other, but it did hold a wide mantel. What got Rukia's attention was the light fixture that dangled just above where the table should go. It looked like a medieval style chandelier made for candles instead of actual light bulbs. Byakuya reached up and touched a candle only to find that it was in fact an electrical light and not an actual candle. Rukia shrugged.

"I still like it… that's pretty." She smiled.

They found the doors that led to the kitchen parlor and started the rest of their investigation of the house. It wasn't until they made it to the top floor that they made a decision.

"I want this house…" Rukia smiled as they stood in a bedroom.

"Are you sure?" Byakuya asked as he pulled out a paper and looked down at it.

Rukia twirled around in the room and sighed, "Of course I'm sure. This house is perfect!"

He smiled at her and continued to read up on the house. As soon as he figured the price, he pulled out his cell phone (yes, the soul reaper cellie) and called the accountants from his manor. As he talked on the phone with them, Rukia sat on a small bench that was built right at the window's base and curled up hugging her knees. She looked out the window and smiled… The view was breath-taking and beautiful. She heard Byakuya end the conversation and she turned to call him over.

"You really should see this…" she said, holding her hand out to him.

He happily obliged and sat beside her looking out the window with her.

"Do you like this?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, this place is beautiful…" she sighed.

Byakuya ran his hand along side her face and turned her head to his,

"Then it is yours…" he smiled.

Rukia grinned from ear to ear as he pulled her in for a kiss.

…

…

…

…

They still had two days left at the hotel, and so they decided to have all their stuff brought to the new house before they moved in. They called furniture stores and had them go in and prepare the house for them as they stayed at the hotel (yeah… rich people for ya! ) Rukia sat at the balcony and stared off into no where. Byakuya watched her from where he stood and smiled. In his mind he kept thinking about how things were going to be away from the Soul Society, and to be perfectly honest, he was scared. There were so many different things to go by in the living world that he wasn't sure how to go by it. He was _born_ in the Soul Society, unlike Rukia who was once human. He came up to the bar and was about to pull out a glass when he noticed a note sitting at the edge of it. It wasn't until he opened it that he was really shocked…

…

…

…

Rukia breathed in the fall air and closed her eyes. Somewhere in the near vicinity, some one was using their fireplace. The smell of pine tickled the insides of her nose and it made her smile. She suddenly felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and pull her into an embrace.

"Why are you sitting out here without a sweater or shawl?" Byakuya questioned in a loving tone.

Rukia tilted her head all the way back against his chest and kissed his lips that were already waiting for it. Byakuya scooped her up and carried her inside.

"It's getting cold, we should enjoy the warmth of this wonderful fire I made." He sat her on the couch in front of the fire place and went to close the doors to the balcony. Rukia pulled the blanket that was resting on the arm and wrapped herself in it before opening it again to invite her husband in. Byakuya lifted a finger and hurried to the kitchen only to return with two glasses of wine. He handed her a glass and sat beside her taking her feet into his lap. Rukia smiled as she lifted her glass.

"To our new home…" she stated.

Byakuya nodded and they gently tapped their glasses together. Rukia looked into the fire and seemed to get lost in the flames. Byakuya began to massage her feet when he noticed she wasn't really there.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked suddenly.

It took Rukia a second but she managed to respond after her squeezed her foot,

"Oh, I don't know. My mind has been wandering off lately." She said looking at him with a smile.

"Are you thinking about Renji?" he quizzed.

Rukia smirked suddenly, "No… that's the last thing on my mind. To be perfectly honest, I don't realize where my mind is taking me. It just goes off into blankness."

Byakuya nodded when he figured out what she was talking about. He too would find himself in that predicament… with _her_. He set his glass on the table in front of them and pulled her closer to him. She also sat her glass next to his and turned to face him. With his arm curled around her and her knees resting by his side, it was easy for Rukia just to lean forward and kiss him. Her lips crashed down on his and she was met with an equal force. She wrapped her hand on the back of his neck and ran her fingers though his hair as his found their way up her blouse and on her skin. Rukia straddled him suddenly and his hands were pretty much free to wander about her body as she continued to kiss him. She felt his hands as they cupped her breasts and pulled gently on them causing her to lightly moan. Her hands left his neck and ran along his chest and arms repeatedly causing him to pull her down on him harder. He swiftly pulled off her blouse and buried his mouth in her breasts. His tongue traced along her bra line until he unfastened it exposing her mounds to his watering mouth. He flicked at her nipple with his hot tongue and sucked on it until it grew hard. Rukia pulled his hair gently as his teeth scraped gently over the hard bud. Her skin crawled with excitement as she felt his member poking her though his pants. She pulled away and lifted his head. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever until he lifted her up and carried her off into the bed room, never breaking their kiss.

He laid her on the bed slowly, placing kisses on her as her body made it down. He pulled off her jeans leaving her almost naked below him. He stopped for a brief moment to take in the sight before him. Kneeling at the bed, he reached forward and ran his hands over her bare skin. The goose bumps on her were so excited, they were visible. Byakuya smiled as his hands stopped under her belly button. Rukia squirmed with eagerness as he dipped in a finger and traced the elastic in a taunting way; she was getting impatient. Her hips lifted as he pulled off her underwear, fully exposing her. Byakuya traced his finger up her leg and stopped by her woman hood. Giving her a look he slipped in and watched her squirm with desire.

Rukia mewled as his fingers danced inside her making her drip and giving him an open invitation. It didn't take him long before he replaced his fingers with himself and Rukia sighed with relief. He ground himself agianst her hard before pulling back only to repeat it again. Her nails dug into his shoulders as his body met with hers. Her moans were evenly met with groans from him as they pulled and pushed on each other. Rukia's legs ended up over his shoulders as his thrusts became faster and harder making her scream out his name. His mouth rested in the crook of her neck enabling him to bite her skin as the pleasure began to increase. Rukia threw her head back as his teeth sunk in, making her cry out. He suddenly pulled back and took her with him to the edge of the bed. The bed was high enough for her to lay over belly-down and he reached her without having to get on his knees. He thrust inside of her hard like before, and being that she was already so wet he slipped in and out with ease. Rukia's body reacted in a way that caused her to tense up and pull the sheets under her hands. As he continued to pound into her Rukia felt her body trembling and she began to lose control. She pushed her body up and felt what seemed like a title wave of pleasure wash over her. Byakuya gave a loud moan as her body shift seemed to hit a spot on his member. He thrust in as hard as he could, holding Rukia by the hips in order to keep her in that position without throwing her forward. Her body climaxed with a final blow and his met right after causing him to grind up against her again. Rukia collapsed as he emptied himself into her, causing him to fall on top of her too. She pulled herself out from under him and rolled to her side to catch her breath. Byakuya turned over and rested his hand on his chest as his heart thudded against it.

"Wow… where did _that_ come from?" she breathed.

Byakuya chuckled and shrugged, "I don't know…"

She propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him, "Do you think it's the spell?"

He had completely forgotten about the folklore and smiled, "What?"

Rukia rubbed her belly, "You know what that girl said about this room…maybe we made a baby?"

Byakuya smiled and pulled her into his chest, "Maybe…but if not, we are going to have to do that again…"

Rukia smiled and curled her arms around him, "It's a deal…"

He felt her falling asleep, but wasn't quite ready yet. He reached over to his pants and pulled out the note. Reading it again, he looked back down at Rukia and sighed.

"This is what you wanted…" he said so softly she could not hear.

He slipped out of the bed careful not to wake her and went to the other room to use the phone.

**HA! Cliffie! **** Well, I hope you enjoyed this update… I sure did! *fans self with paper fan* It was my fiancées idea to add that last part and when he dictated I was like, "What?" Oh my Lord it was funny as heck! Anyway, so what do you think he went to make a call for? Mmmmhmmm… I guess we will have to wait for the next chapter to find out? **** Love Y'all! **


	13. She's Sick

**Well hello there! I'm pretty sure you missed me! ^. ^ I have missed you all terribly! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Well, I am done with my first semester, but alas… my English teacher decided to give me a D in 1301! I have never in my life made below a B! **** Well, as long as I passed I guess. Anyway, as promised I now present you the next chapter in this little story…**

Rukia woke up the next morning and began her normal ritual: go to the restroom, drape on a robe and get coffee. As she made her way into the kitchenette, she realized that Byakuya was nowhere to be seen. She was a little panicked at first, but she re assured herself that he had a good reason for vanishing on her like this. She pulled out the coffee pot and began to prep her morning coffee when he walked in through the door.

"Oh there you are… I was beginning to wonder about where you were…" she smiled.

Byakuya gave her a small smile and vanished again into the room. Rukia furrowed her eyebrows and stretched her neck out to see what he was up to.

"What are you doing?" she called to him.

"Nothing…" a simple reply returned.

Rukia was beginning to get upset. They were two days from moving into their new home and he was pulling this on her? She slid off from the stool and made her way to the bed room and found him in bed.

"Were you out all night?" she asked quietly as she sat beside him.

"No I was up very early this morning. You should take a nap with me." He mumbled.

"But I am not sleepy… where were you?" she asked again.

Byakuya knew it was pointless to argue with her so he turned around and faced her.

"Rukia," he sighed heavily, "We are about to take on something that I don't think we are ready for. I think it is going to take a lot out of us and I am not sure if it would be the right choice for us."

Rukia was thinking that he was getting cold feet about the house. She crossed her arms and pouted, "If you didn't like that one there was other houses to choose from."

Byakuya shook his head and pulled her arm toward him.

"I am not talking about that, Rukia. When we sang at the pub the other night, a man just so happened to be sitting in the front row… This man left me his card and this morning I went to meet him for coffee."

Rukia was still a little confused.

"He wants us to sing for him again at his pub, Rukia…" he clarified.

Rukia's eyes lit up with excitement but at the same time she was terrified.

"What did you tell him?" she managed to say after catching her breath.

He slipped his hand through her hair and rested it behind her head, "I told him that I would talk to you about it first before anything."

Rukia smiled. She was beginning to feel like she was on her way to her Rolling Stones cover dream and as a plus her drop dead gorgeous husband was going to be a part of it with her! She pulled the covers up and crawled in with him. She was speechless and wasn't sure what to say about it.

"Are you excited?" he asked as he kissed her head.

Rukia simply nodded and he smiled. It was rare for her to be speechless and he was enjoying every second of it. She could feel him smiling down at her and looked up to meet his grey eyes.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered with a smile.

Byakuya looked deep into her eyes and smiled in return, "I think as long as we stand beside each other we will be okay."

Rukia smiled again and rested her head against his chest. His arms automatically wrapped around her and snuggled her closer.

…

…

…

…

"Put that over there…" Rukia called to the movers as she organized her flower vase.

All the big things had been moved in and now just the little things were left and the two decided to go on and move in already. Byakuya was leaning against the bar reading a book of some sort, as Rukia glanced over at him. His elbows held him up as his left hand held the book open and his right hand was curled and pushed against his jaw as his pinky drew closer to his lips to earn a quick nibble. She smiled at him and began walking up to him slowly. As she approached him, he looked up and smiled putting the book off to the side.

"So do you love it?" he asked as he welcomed her with open arms.

Rukia smiled and slipped her arm under him and he thinking she was going to hug him, failed to catch her scheme and didn't catch her in time to pull the book away from her.

"Rukia please…" he said as she opened the book.

"How to entice your lover?" she read.

His head lowered and his cheeks flushed lightly; Rukia was confused.

"There are a lot of things I still have yet to learn… I want to make you happy." He said, a little ashamed.

Rukia smiled and tossed the book off to the side, "Oh trust me, you do not need some silly book to make me happy…"

The two shared a cute moment when a man knocked on the door and cleared his throat,

"Mr. Kuchki, Mrs. Kuchki, I am Mr. Tang. I own the Sleepy Lounge that you performed at a few days ago."

He held out his hand to shake Byakuya's as Rukia stared in awe.

"If you don't mind, I would like to sign you two for every weekend as my star performers."

They both looked at Rukia who seemed to beam at that moment.

"If my wife says yes, then I am in as well." Byakuya smiled as he took her hand.

Rukia swallowed and looked at Mr. Tang, "We will be signing all night?"

He chuckled lightly and patted her shoulder gently, "No my dear… Your performances will be what the audience waits all night for. You two will be my closing act for the night to ensure that patrons will return to see you every weekend."

Rukia's cheeks turned bright red and she began to nibble her fingernail. Byakuya sensed she was nervous and gave her a re assuring squeeze. With that she nodded and the deal was on. Mr. Tang drew up some papers and with a quick swipe of a pen they had a year long contract with him. The next few moments seemed to go by like a dream. The three of them chit-chatted about up coming events and started bringing up the band topic. Rukia felt so surreal. She couldn't believe that she was actually going to start living out her dream as a singer… even better now that her husband was going along with her. She felt safe with him; she felt like nothing could go wrong.

…

…

…

Three weeks had passed and their first performance was to be that Saturday. Rukia was a hot mess that morning, slipping groggily out of bed, throwing on a robe and trudging to the kitchen to make herself some coffee. Byakuya was already sitting in the parlor when he caught a glimpse of his diva wife.

"Rukia?" he softly called to her.

Her only response was a low grunt that sort of resembled a bear. She poked her head out of the side door and looked at him. His smile dropped a little when he got a good look at her. Her eyes were puffy and lightly swollen; her hair was sticking up in places he didn't think it could stand. Her skin was pasty and she had a tint of green on her. Rukia was sick.

"Rukia honey, you don't look so good today. Are you feeling bad?" he asked as he walked up to her.

She cleared her throat and began to speak and his eyes widened at the sound.

Her voice was so harsh and dry and barely audible. He wasted no time and scooped her up in his arms.

"You are to stay in bed until Capitan Unohana says you are fine. I will contact the Soul Society in a few minutes." He ordered her as he carried her back up stairs.

He put her back in the bed and tucked her in.

"Do you want any water or juice to drink?" he offered.

Rukia shook her head and closed her eyes. She really didn't feel too good. She felt like she had been hit by a truck and the whole room was spinning. Even the sound of his voice made her head pound.

She looked at the ceiling for what she thought was a second before she drifted off into a deep sleep again. Byakuya was so worried about her. He stood at the doorway and watched her stare off into space for about five minutes. The only way he knew she wasn't dead was the slight rise and fall of her chest and the occasional sighing every now and then. He turned to walk down the hall when he saw Unohana come up the stairs.

"I am so glad you are here…" he started, "Rukia… she is so sick!"

Unohana looked at him with her motherly eyes and smiled, "Capitan Kuchki, I am so glad to see you express such emotion for her. Given that this is a similar event for you, rests assure that Rukia will not die like Hisana did. You must have faith in your wife this time because you and I both now how strong she is."

Byakuya was stunned that she caught him off guard like that. He simply nodded and led her to their room. He was about to walk in behind her, but she turned around and stopped him.

"Now I understand she is now your wife, but I need my time alone with her if you do not mind." She said.

Byakuya nodded and let her close the door. He paced anxiously in the hallway in front of the room. He couldn't believe he let Capitan Unohana kick him out of his own room in his own house! What was he thinking? Just as he was about to barge in, the door opened slowly and she slipped out quietly.

"Capitan Kuchki, you have nothing to worry about. Rukia is going to be fine." She smiled.

"What is wrong with her?

**Ok, so it is late, and it wasn't even that long. I'm sorry… I have just been so busy with the holiday business that I lost all track of what I was doing! But now I think I am in the green up until Spring semester begins jan 18! Lol! ^.^**e Hh


	14. Ready

**So let's take a moment to look back at the past year and reflect on the things we have done and learned. To all my readers: I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your reviews and support! ^.^ I hope this year brings happiness and joy to all of you and may everything you work for shines! I do not own Bleach or its characters cause if I did… whoa boy! ^.^**

Byakuya twitched nervously as Unohana kept him at bay.

"Rukia will be fine, Capitan Kuchki. The only thing that is necessary is that she has lots of rest and drinks plenty of water…" she smiled.

He sighed in relief, but wasn't quite satisfied with what she told him. He looked closely at her eyes and tried his hardest to read her mind, but to no avail. Unohana was a solid wall and there was no way he was going to get through her. She gently walked passed him and allowed him to go to Rukia's side. He smiled as she looked up at him with a weak grin.

"How do you feel now, Rukia?" he asked quietly.

She took a deep breath and stretched out, "Much better actually… Capitan Unohana has the magic touch!"

Byakuya stroked her hair softly and kissed the top of her head

Her forehead was warm and she had a thin layer of sweat; Rukia had the flu. He sat closer to her on the bed and took her hand in his. Her hands were so small and warm in his; it sent a smile to his face.

"Are you laughing at me?" she asked.

Byakuya smiled and shook his head, "I would never."

She elbowed him slightly, "Then why are you smiling?"

Leaning forward, he gave her a tender kiss on her head again, "Because you are so cute when you are sick."

Rukia was already flushed from her fever so he couldn't tell if she was blushing or not. It was a rare sight to see her weak like this. She hadn't been sick since the first time she came into the household some fifty plus years ago. The moment was interrupted by a knock at the door followed by a server walking in.

"Sir, Madam, please excuse my intrusion, but you have a visitor…" as he stepped aside Rukia's face lit up.

"Ichigo!" she called, but suddenly went into a coughing fit.

Byakuya stood up and held out his hand to him, "It has been a while Kurosaki."

Ichigo took his hand and squeezed slightly implying that there was still some tension between them. For Rukia's sake they were going to call a truce.

"So, I hear ya got yourself sick, Short stuff." He teased as he sat beside her.

Rukia swatted him with all her might, but she was so weak that it had no affect on him.

"Oh wow, that's pretty bad. Byakuya, I thought I told you to take care of her? She is like my sister you know? So technically you are my brother-in-law!" Ichigo said.

Byakuya rolled his eyes and smiled at Rukia, "I will be right back. I must make a call and cancel this show."

"Wait-" Rukia started but he cut her off.

"I will not hear another word from you. Nothing is going to happen until you are well, Rukia. End of story." He stated before walking out of the door.

Ichigo scratched his head, "Wow, he is still so over bearing…"

Rukia punched him, "Do not speak ill of my husband."

Laughing, he rubbed his arm and flicked her knee from the other side of the blanket.

"So how is married life treating you these days?" he asked.

Rukia smiled and cuddled the blanket closer to her chest. Unaware that Byakuya was standing right out side, she let it all out.

"At first, I only did it because he wanted me to. I would do anything for him, and you know that." She looked down at her finger and twisted her wedding ring around, "But marrying Byakuya has been like a good dream come true. I am happy, and I have never felt so much love before…"

Ichigo cut in, "Renji told me what happened."

Rukia stayed looking at her hand for a minute before looking back up into his eyes.

"I had to… I knew he loved me too, but I just didn't love him like that. I know how he can be obsessive compulsive about things, but I had to send him away, Ichi. Byakuya would have killed him, and I could not see two men that I love so dear fight over me like that. I chose to stay with my husband because we fit together. We are each other's half and we are a whole together. It just never would have worked out with Renji…"

Ichigo wiped away a tear from her cheek, "I understand. I told him that for you to do something like that meant that it was for his own good. I know Byakuya is good to you and I would not have it any other way either."

Rukia smiled and leaned forward to hug him. He rested his head on hers and cradled her for a second, patting her back and rocking them back and fourth. Rukia let her tears slip out and saturate his shirt. Ichigo would do this for her every now and then when she needed to vent. It was a way for her to let everything out and regain her wits. He sighed as he felt her weeping stop and gently pulled her back.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked drying her cheeks.

Rukia nodded, "Yeah I am…"

"Do you do this with Byakuya?" he added.

Rukia just stared at him blankly. Come to think of it, she had made it a point not to cry like that in front of him on a regular basis. As if she were ashamed, she bowed her head and shook it. Ichigo smiled and lifted her chin back up…

"Hey, it's ok. Remember, you and me are connected by our souls. So it is like you are my sister too, and that's how I see things. You are older than me, but given that I am a lot bigger and taller than you…"

"I think you should let her rest, Kurosaki and stop teasing her." Byakuya said as he walked in.

Ichigo smiled and looked at Rukia. "Everything will be fine… You will see."

As he walked past Byakuya, Ichigo stopped and whispered, "If I were you, I'd pry into that brain of hers and get on the same level with your wife."

Byakuya stayed looking at him as he disappeared behind the door.

…

…

…

A week had passed since Rukia was sick, and she was feeling a lot better. They had re scheduled their gig for that weekend, and Rukia was more than ready. As she stood in the extra room, she faced the mirror before her and sang her heart out. She watched herself as her lips moved, as her facial expressions changed with the melody, and as she slightly swayed with the intensity that gave way toward the end. Rukia was ready.

"Hey where are you?" she called once she was done.

"I'm in the hallway…" Byakuya called back.

"Why?" she said as she spotted him from the doorway.

"I didn't want to intrude on you rehearsing." He smiled.

Rukia shrugged and pulled him in with her, "Well you are going to be singing beside me so it will not be a problem."

Byakuya sighed and stood next to her as she set the music sheets in front of them. He didn't want to tell her right then and there that he was only singing one of the four songs with her. When he first talked to Mr. Tang that was the agreement; He was only going to sing one song with her and let her sing the rest on her own. Rukia pressed play on the IPod and an instrumental version of one of the songs began. As they sang in harmony, Rukia held on to his hand and firmly squeezed it. All he could think about was that conversation she had with Ichigo earlier. What did Ichigo mean by what he said to him? Was he not on the same level as his own wife?

"Hey what's wrong?" she stopped singing out of the blue.

Byakuya shook his head and smiled, "It's nothing… You know I love you right?"

Rukia nodded and tilted her head, "Why?"

He took both of her hands in his and drew them closer to his lips and kissed them. He didn't want to tell her what was nagging at him from within; he just wanted to enjoy the moment they were in.

Rukia was growing impatient, "What do you want to tell me?"

Byakuya sighed and gently pulled away from her and looked down, "Rukia, I will only be singing one song with you… You will be singing all the rest on your own."

Her eyes grew large, but played it off with a smile, "Oh… is that all?"

She turned back to the window and pulled the curtains open. He watched as she moved from the window back to the doorway. In some aspect, he felt as though he let her down as he watched her slowly walk away from him. _"Was I wrong to let her know that?" _he thought to himself. Unable to with hold his guilt, he hurried out of the room in search of her. His mind was racing thinking that she would be upset and would not want to speak to him. He hated to see her upset especially by his own doing. As he flew down the stairs, he caught a glimpse of her heading into the dining room.

"Rukia!" he called out as he jumped over the railing a few steps shy from the floor.

She turned around just in time for him to pull her into his embrace.

"Byakuya? What's wrong?" she mumbled into his chest.

"Please don't be upset with me, Rukia…" he said softly on her head.

"Why would I be?" she said slightly gasping for air.

"I didn't know how you would feel about singing by yourself instead of together. I saw the surprise in your eyes, but then you just walked away. I assumed you were-" he was cut off by her finger landing gently on his lips.

She shook her head slowly and smiled at him, "You have given me so much in the last seventy years, Byakuya. You have given up your Shinigami life temporarily to be my human husband… Even though I know you didn't want that. You saved my ass on open mic night and because of that I am now about to start something I have always wanted to."

She took her finger and gently slid it down from his lips to his neck, chest and to his hand. His hand was so large in hers she had to use her free hand to hold it the way she intended to. Rukia lifted his hand and pressed it against her chest resting her hands over his.

"My heart beats happily when I am around you. There hasn't been a time in my life with you that I have ever been upset by you. I had always thought that I was not good enough to be a Kuchki, and now look at me…" she looked up into his eyes and smiled.

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers bringing his nose to press against hers. He took his hand and cupped her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"Rukia, you have been everything to me since I can remember…"

Byakuya leaned in more and pressed his lips against hers allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck before lifting her up and pushing her up against the wall. Their lips fought for dominance for a good while before she stopped him.

"I have to get ready…" she panted.

Byakuya glared over at the clock trying to see if he could catch a few extra minutes to squeeze in an appetizer, but she jumped from his arms and raced up stairs. Feeling a little unsatisfied, he looked down and took a deep breath. As he pushed away from the wall, he noticed that it was painful to walk and decided to make a quick visit to the restroom.

…

…

…

…

Rukia trotted along gleefully as they made their way to the pub for an early rehearsal. Byakuya watched her bounce around as though she was never sick. She still felt a little uneasy and still had a slight fever, but she was a Kuchki… Nothing was going to stop her from coming to rehearsal this time. He held open the door for her and let he walk before him. They both stopped and stared at the empty place and caught sight of the stage where in just two days they would be performing. Rukia turned and looked back at him.

"Are you as excited as I am?" she asked with a grin.

Byakuya nodded and took her hand in his.

"Ah Kuchki's!" Mr. Tang greeted with delight, "I am so glad to see you are doing better, Rukia. I take it that you are here for some practice?"

Rukia nodded, "Yes, I think that would be a great idea."

Mr. Tang led them to the back rooms into a changing room.

"If you would like to change into any different clothing, we have a huge selection to pick from. This will be your dressing or practice room from now on." He smiled.

Rukia looked around at the surprisingly nice looking room. It was like a small studio apartment furnished with a couch, television, fridge and even a shower. Byakuya smiled and continued the conversation with Mr. Tang as Rukia went on to investigate the room. She walked into the back part of the room into the bathroom and started to check out the furnishings.

"So do you think you will be ready for this weekend?" Mr. Tang asked.

Byakuya nodded and folded his arms across his chest, "Will your band?"

Mr. Tang nodded in response and began to walk out of the room.

"Feel free to use whatever you need to rehearse. Let Rukia know the fridge is fully stocked with treats and drinks." He called out before he shut the door.

Byakuya slumped down into the couch and flipped on the television. Rukia hurried from the back and stood beside him.

"Oh my! That is the coolest bathroom I have seen!" she squealed in excitement.

He took in her giddy smile and couldn't help but laugh.

"Sometimes you can be so cute, Rukia…"

She smiled back and sat on the arm rest beside him.

"Well, we do have the place for ourselves for the time being…" she hinted.

Byakuya quickly looked at her with large eyes as though he was shocked by her remark. Thinking about the incident earlier, he decided to waste no time and took her up on her offer.

**Okay, well I know that took me forever and a day to update. I just had a lot of things come up all at once and I was becoming overwhelmed. I hope you all enjoyed my update. I started working on the next chapter so I can give myself a head start… ^.^**

e Hh


	15. The next thing

**Hello…. ^.^ Please enjoy this chapter… I have put a lot of consideration to this one….**

Rukia had never in her life gotten ready and pumped up for something so fast before. She peeked outside of the curtain and marveled at the crowd. Byakuya was tall enough just to lean over her and look too.

"Wow, it looks like a full house, Rukia… and look all your family is in the front row…" he pointed out.

Rukia was all nerves at this point, "Ha ha… nice one. Keep giving me reasons to be more scared than what I already am." She hissed.

He put a loving arm around her and pulled her into his chest, "You will be fine, Rukia…"

She looked up at him bitterly for just one second and said, "That's easy for you to say since you bailed on me."

As he let go in shock, she pranced off with a victorious evil grin. Byakuya narrowed his eyes and snickered to himself, "Ahh yes, she is a clever one…"

The house lights dimmed and the crowd began to grow quiet just as the curtain began to open. Rukia stood at the entrance to the stage and waited patiently for her cue. The announcer made his introduction and then finally she made her way on stage as the crowd cheered. Byakuya watched from the side as she made her little speech and adjusted the microphone. He noticed the familiar faces in the very front row as the entire Kurosaki clan and her friends as well as Yoruichi and Urahara. He smiled at her as the music started and she took one quick glance at him just as the song began.

…

…

The show went on for about twenty minutes or so before the finale. Rukia was tired and it showed on her face, but she was so proud of herself she made it work.

"I have one final trick up my sleeve… I would like to introduce you all to my husband who will be closing this show with me." She smiled as he walked out on stage with her; guitar in hand.

He began to strum the chords to that familiar song and they both seemed to forget the crowd was even there. It was more like they were singing to each other more than anything. At one point she went over and sat on his lap. The crowd loved it. Patrons were finding places to slow dance with their dates as others were just blown away by the two. Ichigo smiled at them and turned to look at Orihime who blushed as he took her hand. Byakuya and Rukia's voices seemed to take control of the entire pub in a state of pure bliss… It was almost- magical.

The curtains closed after the two made their final announcement and Byakuya pulled Rukia into their dressing room with such haste, she didn't even realize where they were until she heard the door slam.

"What-" she attempted to say, but was cut off by his lips.

He devoured her, taking her lips as his own and pulling her so close into him he could almost feel her heart beating inside of him. Rukia did not struggle nor make an attempt to ask why he was acting the way he was she just gave in. Slowly, he dropped his mouth to her neck, licking up to her ear. The arm on her stomach moved so that his hand was pressing her tightly against him. He managed to unzip his pants and let them slide to the floor. Rukia gave a soft moan as his hand moved from her stomach up to her breasts. He fondled one then the other, before moving back to her stomach. Byakuya dropped his hands to Rukia's ass, pushing her tightly against his bulging erection. Her gasp of surprise was music to his ears. Slowly rubbing his hands against her, he pressed his mouth to her neck sucking gently enough to mark her. Lifting her so that she sat perched on the counter, Byakuya moved between her legs. His hands began caressing her legs, up to her thighs, but avoided going any further. He wanted this to last for a few moments. As his hands took possession of her body, Rukia sat staring at him. Passion, want, and desire were evident on her face. Byakuya gave her a sexy grin, before moving one hand up to her face…

"I love you, Rukia." He breathed on her lips.

Rukia took his thumb into her mouth and bit tenderly on it before sucking on it. He moved his hands up under her blouse. The feel of his cold hands on her warm body felt like heaven. She leaned forward, pressing against his hands. They moved to her breasts, and impatiently ripped the bra away. Capturing her breasts in his hands, Byakuya kneaded and teased her sensitive nipples. He looked up into her face, and saw the desire burning inside. Removing his hands, Byakuya reached behind to clear the counter. Rukia moved her hands to Byakuya's chest, and began slowly unbuttoning his shirt. It soon joined the growing pile on the floor. She rubbed her hands over his chest, taken in by the soft skin and hard muscle under her fingers. Byakuya loved the feel of her hands; her feather-like strokes were torture. He reached up and pulled off her blouse, appreciatively eyeing her breasts. His mouth moved to take first one, then the other into his mouth, while Rukia's hands were stroking his back and shoulders. Byakuya pulled Rukia off the counter, and tightly against his body. The feel of his moist skin against her made Rukia's knees buckle, and she leaned into him for support. His arms wrapped around her small body, so that no space could be found between them. He lifted her from the counter completely and found himself buried inside of her. Rukia's knees tightened their grip on him as his member throbbed within. He pulled her down on him a few times before laying her back on the counter and continued to have his way with her. She cried out in ecstasy as he gently but effectively ground into her. His forehead resting against hers he watched her face as her eyes rolled back, as her face grew flush and as she bit her lip. He couldn't think of any other explanation as to why then and there, but he had to have her. As the moment peaked into the climax stage, Rukia clawed into his back and he pulled her shoulders down to dig in as far as he could get into her. Her body shook violently for a few seconds as the intensity came and went as fast as it started. Still in position, the two gasped for air.

"What… was… that!" she breathed heavily.

Byakuya was so out of breath he simply shook his head slowly with a smile. She ran her fingers through his hair and moved a lock of it out of the way.

"That was… intense…" she smiled.

He leaned in and kissed her gently before climbing off of her. Rukia sat up and looked down at her clothes on the floor.

"Well, I guess I could use a shower now," she giggled as she hopped off the counter and pranced her way to the bathroom. He flopped down into the couch and sighed. He honestly had no clue as to why he was so driven to have spontaneous sex like that all of a sudden. As he sat and questioned his actions, a knock intervened. Byakuya slipped into his shirt and casually opened the door to find all of her friends lined up at the door.

"Where is she?" Ichigo asked with a smile.

Orihime clung neatly onto his shirt and smiled, "We have a gift for her, Capitan Kuchki."

Byakuya smiled. Other than Unohana he hadn't been called Capitan in a while and he was starting to miss it a little.

"She will be out in just a moment, please come in." he announced in a monotone voice.

They all stood around marveling at the dressing room as Byakuya went to the bathroom to inform Rukia she had guests.

"Oh, okay, I was getting out anyway." She said as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Byakuya smiled at her, an average sized towel covered her entire body like a blanket where as he had trouble just keeping it around his waist! Rukia wiped off the mirror and looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What's that look for?" she quizzed.

Byakuya smiled and shrugged, "I was just wondering how a baby is going to fit inside that little sized stomach of yours."

Rukia laughed and pulled off her towel, "Oh trust me… it will fit."

He took a good look at her bare torso and smiled, "Good… I will be expecting four or five healthy boys."

Rukia pulled up her pants and huffed, "If anything we will end up having prissy girls like their dad!"

Byakuya's jaw dropped, "You dare insult me? Those babies will be half your size when they come out!"

She pulled over her tee shirt, "Well… if I can handle you, I am more than certain I can push out a kid or two."

With that, she walked passed him and took his hand as they went to join the group in the sitting area.

…

…

…

A few months had gone by and Rukia was now opening in different places and cities. Byakuya tagged along mostly because she wanted him around, she didn't want him to be left out of her dream come true as he was part of it. This particular night however, they were headed back home from Beijing. Rukia grabbed a quick snack before they boarded the plane and Byakuya decided to wait until they got home to eat. Rukia sat by the window and seemed to nod off… when it happened. A searing pain hit her from behind causing her to jolt from her sleep. It was so painful she couldn't even cry out. Byakuya felt her sudden movement and quickly tended to her.

"Rukia! What's wrong?" he asked rubbing her back.

The pain overwhelmed her so intensely she could only curl up into a ball. They had another thirty minutes before they reached Japan and he didn't want to alarm anyone and cause a scene. He felt her trembling in agony and just couldn't take it anymore. As calmly as he could, he lifted her and carried her to the flight attendants' area.

"I need a doctor…" he said to the woman.

She took a look at Rukia and felt her face, "Oh my! She's burning up! Come quickly, bring her here."

They went into a small area of the plane that was similar to a sick bay and he lay Rukia down on the table. As the attendant began to throw on a white coat, she picked up the phone and called for help.

"How long has she been like this?" she asked now returning to Rukia's side.

Byakuya shook his head, "Just a few minutes ago. She was in severe pain and she couldn't speak."

The woman placed her hand over Rukia's stomach and felt around until Rukia hissed in pain at a certain area.

"Hmm… I was afraid of this…" she turned to look at Byakuya, "Did you know she was pregnant?"

Byakuya's face grew pale and he shook his head. When did this happen? How did it get by either of them? Byakuya's mind was whirling at a speed so fast it just didn't make sense to him anymore. He watched silently as the woman and her co worker buzzed around Rukia in frenzy, anxious to help her. Moments passed and what seemed like hours to him were only a few minutes before the woman smiled.

"Sir, she is stable now… I am not sure if we saved the baby, but she is going to be fine for now. When we land, an ambulance will be waiting and will take you from there." She pat his shoulder and walked passed him.

Now alone, he sat beside Rukia and took her hand in his.

"Did you know?" he asked.

Rukia nodded, "I was going to surprise you when we got home. I just found out today myself…"

"How many weeks, Rukia?" he fought back tears.

"…twelve." Her voice shook slightly with fear for her unborn child.

He squeezed her hand gently before bringing it back to his lips and kissed her fingers. Without another word, he leaned up against the wall and closed his eyes; praying that the baby will make it. Rukia rested her hand over her torso and sighed. She was fighting back tears so desperately; she didn't notice the faint sobs coming from just over her feet. Byakuya was scared.

**So, I decided to cut it off there and make a bit of a cliffie there… ^.^ Well, spring semester has started… and I am so excited… not! I just hope this semester is better than the last! R & R darlings!**


	16. Home sweet home

**Sorry for taking so long with the update. D: I would like to start off by saying to my co-writers, keep up the excellent work! I love all of y'alls stories and look forward to your updates! Secondly I would like to add, I will be wrapping this story up soon so if anyone has any ideas or requests for the next story feel free to hit me up! ^.^ With that… let's hear the rest of the story!**

Once again Byakuya found himself pacing on the other side of the door as the doctors examined Rukia. His mind was racing as to what the possibilities could be, and he was scared; scared for Rukia and for this baby. He thought it selfish of himself to think that if it came down to it he would choose to save Rukia and try making a baby some other time. He sat by the window and looked out at the city. _What are we doing here? We are Shinigamis, not humans… Rukia would have never endured this kind of pain f we were back home where we belonged._ He thought to himself. Byakuya blamed himself at that point; blamed himself for everything that went wrong, and then it started. His memory brought up a whole list of things that had passed. Hisana's death could have been avoided if he only tried harder, or did he _want_ her to die? He shook his head at that. _Absurd!_ He mumbled to himself. He then blamed himself for all the times Rukia was badly injured from her missions. The reason he went to retrieve her from Karukura Town in the first place was because he felt responsible for that. His mind continued on its little trip and failed to notice the doctor walking out of her room. It wasn't until a man sitting near by pointed it out to him bringing him back to reality.

Rukia lay in the bed yet again; with an i.v. hooked up to her arm and a hospital gown three times her size because they didn't have any small enough for her. She looked as though she had been crying and she looked absolutely miserable. He carefully sat at the foot of her bed and reached out to touch her foot but stopped short when she spoke.

"It's gone…" her voice was cold and emotionless.

His hand dropped just under her heel, "I'm sorry…"

She turned to look at him and his heart dropped as her face was streaming with tears.

"Don't apologize…" she attempted a smile, "We can always try again later."

He didn't even smile. Byakuya leaned his body forward and lay beside her, taking her in his arms. Rukia trembled as she tried very hard to hold in her anguish. He cupped her face in his hand and lead it to his chest.

"Cry, Rukia…" he said.

He rubbed the back of her head gently and waited patiently for the hot wetness to build up on his chest from her tears. He could feel her heart breaking by the second as she sobbed silently into his chest. The other hand soon came up from under her and held her tighter against him.

"I love you, Rukia…" he whispered as he kissed the top of her head, fighting off his own sobs.

Rukia clutched on to his shirt tighter and the sobs became less and less. They lay there for a few moments and let the shock pass them by.

"The doctor said that I shouldn't do anything that keeps me up on my feet for long periods of time. My blood loss was so much that I need to recover." She said as she sat up in the bed.

Byakuya was quick to wipe away any evidence of his tears before sitting beside her.

"What would you like to do?" he asked.

She looked at him with a tired look that frightened him, "I would like to go back…"

At that very moment, he felt his heart stop. She looked so much like Hisana did in her last days. Shaking his head at the thought, he took her hands in his and kissed them. He had to remind himself that Rukia was always a lot stronger than Hisana and this was something that Unohana could fix in one sitting.

"Just as soon as we can leave from here, Rukia and I will have our house taken care of in the mean time." He smiled.

Rukia looked off toward the window and sighed, "Besides, I think all this excitement in the living world has made me realize how much I miss the serenity the Soul Society has to offer."

Byakuya rubbed the back of his head and smiled, "Well, lately everyone has been acting strangely. I think the safest place to rest would be in our manor. Since we are married now, I can explain to Ukitake as to why I am keeping you in bed."

Rukia smiled and made an attempt to joke, "Keep me in bed all day, huh?"

He smiled a weak smile just as the doctor walked in, "Well Mrs. Kuchki, Mr. Kuchki, it appears that we managed to get you stable enough to go home, but just as a precaution, please remain in bed and drink plenty of fluids."

Byakuya nodded in agreement as the doctor patted her on her back gently and turned to Byakuya.

"And no extraneous activities until after two weeks. We can't have her getting pregnant again while this is still fresh. A woman needs time to heal." He seemed to scold Byakuya and this made Rukia laugh a genuine laugh. Both men turned around and smiled at her.

"She is in good hands with me, Doctor. I can assure you I will wait on my wife on hand and foot." Byakuya bowed.

The doctor nodded just as Ichigo walked in all panicked like.

"Rukia! Oh Rukia are you okay? I got here as fast as I could!" he cried as he leapt into the hospital bed and cradled her in his arms.

Being smothered into his chest made it a little difficult for her to breathe so she bit down as hard as she could, earning a loud squeak from him.

"You cow! I couldn't breathe! Can't you see that I am weak right now?" she gasped.

Ichigo rubbed his chest vigorously and winced, "You didn't have to bite that hard!"

Byakuya looked over at the doctor and shrugged, "Family… what can you do?"

The doctor acknowledged and quietly left the room as Byakuya hurried to Rukia's side.

"Ichigo, would you like to explain to me why you are smothering my wife?" Byakuya's voice boomed in its typical monotone voice.

He looked up and turned towards him, "I was worried about her when they called, which by the way Byakuya, why didn't you call me and let me know what was going on?" He asked, putting an emphasis on Byakuya's name.

"It was none of your concern, Ichigo." He flatly said.

Ichigo stood up and bowed up to him but Rukia called in an intervention, "Guys stop! I need to pack up my things and head on home. I'd like some help please!"

Both Ichigo and Byakuya glared into each other's eyes before aiding Rukia.

…

…

…

The trip home was long and tiresome for Rukia. She still felt a little weak from her ordeal, but she was determined to get back into the Soul Society and get started on her healing process. Byakuya carried her most of the way after the taxi dropped them off a few blocks down. Rukia had wanted to walk home, but as she stepped out of the car, she just couldn't walk. He looked down at her sleeping figure in his arms and sighed. In his heart he was praying to every being imaginable for the full recovery of his beloved Rukia. He couldn't bear to loose another love like this. He looked up and saw their house just a few feet away. The packers had already started working on packing up the house and moving things into a storage facility near by.

"Rukia, we're home." He whispered softly.

She gave a soft grumble and peeled open an eye to catch sight of their house once more before heading off to their manor. She smiled as they walked into the living room and everything was packed.

"Damn, these guys are fast!" she quietly joked.

Byakuya smiled at her humor and began to walk upstairs still with Rukia in tow. He walked to the last room on the right and stopped at the doorway before opening it.

"Is there anything you want to look at before we go back?" he asked.

Rukia shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Just take me home."

Byakuya smiled and walked in the doorway into a bright light leading them to the Soul Society.

**Ok, I have decided to end it here. I know, it is a little short and rushed, but I was running out of juice and I have been so caught up with a lot of things I haven't been able to tend to my fan-fic garden (fig of speech) So, I hope you liked it and it didn't make you feel like it was unfinished. They always live happily ever after in my stories! **


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